Getting the most out of your jogging sessions involves more than building leg strength, picking a good path and buying the right shoes. Proper breathing also plays a vital role in how successful your jogging experience is. By learning breathing techniques to use while running, you can improve your speed and potentially increase your pace with little effort.
Mouth Breathing
Breathing through your mouth instead of your nose is an important technique for becoming an efficient jogger. Mindy Solkin, Level III Running Coach and writer for MarathonGuide.com, notes that breathing through your mouth allows you to inhale and exhale greater quantities of air than you can through your nostrils, resulting in an easier flow of breath. In addition, mouth breathing helps you maintain relaxed facial muscles, whereas nose breathing tends to result in tension and a clenched jaw, which can distract you while running.
Belly Breathing
Belly breathing -- sometimes referred to as diaphragmatic breathing -- can help you improve your jogging performance. Unlike chest breathing, which involves rapid and shallow inhalations and exhalations, belly breathing occurs when your breaths are deep enough to cause your stomach to expand while your chest remains still. This form of breathing allows you to inhale more oxygen and exhale greater quantities of carbon dioxide, which in turn helps keeps your cells fueled with ample oxygen.
Breathe to Music
Listening to music while jogging doesn't just help make exercise more enjoyable: It can also have a positive effect on the timing of your inhalations and exhalations. Whether you listen to music on an MP3 player or simply memorize a song to rehearse in your head, finding a tune with a tempo that matches your natural breathing rate helps you take steady, even breaths. Fast-paced or motivational songs such as "Chariots of Fire" and "Rocky" can help you subconsciously increase your breathing and your jogging pace, explains Mike Fohner, former competitive runner and author of TheFitnessMotivator.com.
Breath Timed with Steps
Matching your inhalations and exhalations to your steps while jogging can help you maintain an even breathing pace. One technique to try is a two-two breathing pattern, which involves taking an inhalation while stepping down with your left foot and right foot, and then exhaling while you step down again with your left foot and right foot. Depending on your preferred pace, a three-three breathing pattern may also be most comfortable, which involves inhaling while stepping down with your left foot, right foot, and then left foot again, and then exhaling while stepping down with your right foot, left foot, and then right foot again. Timing your breaths with your steps helps anchor your breathing to a steady rhythm.
