Since you have been breathing your entire life, you might wonder about the purpose of a guide to proper breathing during cardiovascular exercise. The fact is, many fitness enthusiasts are shooting themselves in the foot by working out without sufficient oxygen -- oxygen that correct breathing techniques can provide.
Benefits
Proper breathing technique during cardiovascular exercise can help your body function more efficiently, allowing you to push yourself harder. For a person who is training simply to be in shape, this allows you to exercise at an elevated level of intensity, improving your calorie burn and weight loss results. For a competitive athlete, this allows you to develop higher levels of conditioning in training and to compete longer and more intensely during events.
Shallow Breathing
Many beginning exercisers will fall into the trap of rapid, shallow breathing when they begin to grow tired. This quick panting is actually an inefficient, tiring method of breathing, even though it feels like taking breaths faster should help you pull oxygen into your system more quickly. If you force yourself to stay calm and take relaxed, slow breaths, you will actually recover your energy far more quickly and more efficiently.
Correct Breathing
There is some variation of opinions about the optimum style of breathing for cardiovascular exercise. Most, however, are some variation of a rhythm breathing strategy. The specific rhythm will change slightly as the intensity of your exercise increases. The U.S. military teaches soldiers to use a three-to-two rhythm while running -- inhaling deeply for about three strides, then exhaling deeply for about two strides. If necessary, under increased strain, they will switch to a two-to-one rhythm. This type of rhythm can be applied to virtually any type of workout; simply switch the strides for whatever repetition you are performing, or, if necessary, count by seconds.
Repetition
Developing proper breathing technique such as this can sometimes feel slightly awkward or uncomfortable at first. When you first begin using it, you will have to constantly remind yourself when to take breaths, and will repeatedly catch yourself falling back into poor, shallow breathing. Constant practice, however, will help the rhythm gradually become more natural and instinctive. Much like any athletic technique that you do repeatedly, it will eventually become part of your automatic muscle memory.
