Correct breathing method for aerobic exercise doubles efficiency

The most universal breathing method that can directly improve the effectiveness of aerobic exercise is "inhaling through the nose and breathing in and out to match the movement rhythm + starting abdominal breathing first." As long as it is used correctly, the fat burning efficiency and endurance performance of the same exercise duration can be improved by at least 40%, and it can even help you avoid 80% of the problems of shortness of breath and respiratory tract pain after exercise.

Previous studies on exercise physiology have calculated that correct breathing that matches the rhythm can increase the body's oxygen uptake by 25% to 30% during exercise. The accumulation of lactic acid in muscles is half as fast, so you can naturally last longer, and your fat burning efficiency will also increase. Last year I coached a student who was losing fat. He weighed 160 pounds. He had to rest three times for one kilometer at the beginning. He was panting like a bellows every time. After running for two weeks, his weight did not move at all. Later, he adjusted his breathing pattern. After two weeks, he was able to run 5 kilometers continuously. He steadily lost 8 kilograms in a month. The effect is so intuitive.

Really, don’t underestimate breathing. Many people practice aerobics for half a year but have no effect. The whole problem lies in this.

There has been a lot of controversy about aerobic respiration. The most common one is whether to breathe through the nose or the mouth. Many old-school endurance athletes insist on breathing through the nose throughout the whole race. I know an older brother who has been running for 18 years. He inhales and exhales through the nose no matter whether it is winter or summer. He said that this can filter the cold air, avoid dry throat and sore throat, and can also forcefully control the pace and prevent him from sprinting too hard at the beginning and then slowing down. Now he can run 330 in the whole marathon and has never had any breathing problems. But now among the coaches who do high-intensity intervals, it is generally believed that when the intensity increases, you can use your mouth to assist in inhaling - think about it, when running a 400-meter interval and doing burpees, the air intake through the nose is not enough. If you hold it in without using your mouth, you will suffer from hypoxia and dizziness, which will affect your sports performance.

Both of these statements are correct. It all depends on your exercise intensity at the time: if you can easily hum an entire song while running, then it’s okay to use your nose.； If you are so tired that you can only answer a question with a single word, then use your mouth as you should and don't stick to the standards.

Many people say they don't know how to do abdominal breathing. In fact, you don't need to practice lying down at all. You can try it while sitting on a chair: put your hands on your stomach. When you inhale, your belly will bulge outwards and you will feel your hands being pushed up. When you exhale, your stomach will retract. Stop for half a second at the end of the breath. Practice it three or five times and you will be fine. Just deliberately carry this feeling when running. You don't have to hold on to full abdominal posture throughout the whole process. When the intensity increases, you will naturally bring in some chest breathing. This is the body's self-regulation, which is absolutely fine. Studies have also confirmed that the oxygen uptake efficiency of combined chest and abdominal breathing under high-intensity aerobic is the highest, and there is no need to specifically suppress chest movements.

There are also many people who like to stick to the standard of "3 steps to inhale and 2 steps to exhale" when they first adjust their breathing. As a result, they end up getting stuck. I also encountered this pitfall when I first started to change my breathing. After running for two kilometers, I was so out of breath that I couldn't straighten my back. Later, I stopped counting at all. I just took it as it came. Slowly I found the rhythm: when jogging, I would take one breath every two or three steps, and then take two breaths. Take three steps and exhale. Exhale when you step up the stairs to exert force, and inhale when you put down your feet to relax. Exhale when you pedal with force when riding a bicycle, and inhale when you lift your legs. Just follow the rhythm of the movements, and there is no need to deliberately count numbers.

Oh, by the way, there is another common misunderstanding: many people think that the deeper the breathing, the better. They inhale hard and exhale hard, but instead end up hyperventilating, making their hands numb and dizzy while running. It’s really not necessary. Just inhale until your belly bulges naturally. When you exhale, try to remove the carbon dioxide from the lungs. It is much more effective than taking a big gulp and holding it in your chest.

In fact, there is no standard answer for breathing during aerobic exercise. If you are comfortable running, can persist for a long time, and will not be exhausted after running for two steps, then it is the most suitable for you. I met an old man in Ossen a while ago. When he was running, he breathed to the rhythm of Peking Opera on the radio. He hummed the opera and ran 10 kilometers at a very steady pace. Is there any absolute standard? The core thing is not to pant blindly, so that oxygen can be supplied to meet the needs of the muscles, and the exercise efficiency will naturally increase.