How To Breathe Properly While Running & Playing Soccer

Breathing properly fills two roles when you play soccer: providing oxygen to fuel activity and calming the mind during pregame jitters or moments that require focused performance. Controlled breathing, along with productive talking to yourself, can help players "clear many of the mental obstacles blocking their best performance," writes soccer sports psychologist Colleen Hacker in "The Soccer Coaching Bible."

Step 1

Breathe smoothly through the nostrils. This will help sustain your running efforts. Avoid forceful inhalation and indifferent exhalation. Breathe with your diaphragm, using the bottom of your lungs rather than breathing shallowly from your upper chest. Try to breathe consistently, even though the game requires you to change gears as you walk, stroll, jog, run and sprint.

Step 2

Maintain good posture, Carry your back straight with your shoulders thrown back while strolling or walking to allow deeper breathing. If you are running steadily during a match, keep your breathing in time with your steps.

Step 3

Breathe for longer at points during the game. Exhale all the way out. Release any tension in your arms by shaking them out. At halftime, move your head in a circle to further release tension.

Step 4

Combine breathing skills with thought management. Inhale on a one-two count and focus on reasons why you are prepared, skilled and ready to perform. Exhale in a long, slow count twice as long as the inhalation: one, two, three, four. Combine exhalation with an audible sigh and think, "I can make this play," Hacker advises.

Tips and Warnings

Leagues may require mouthguards for soccer. Off-the-shelf mouthguards may interfere with your breathing. A custom-fit mouthguard obtained from a dentist may work better to permit you to breathe during periods of heavy exertion.