Every minute, breathing becomes harder, the body tries to take in more and more air, the heart beats faster, it seems that you are about to suffocate, and all you want to do is sit down and take a breath.

The description is like an attack of a serious cardiovascular disease or respiratory disease, but in fact it is the feeling of a person who decided for the first time in many years to go in for sports.

Out of habit, the body tries to randomly cope with the load and “absorb” as much air as possible, forcing us to take in and out breaths more often. But is this true? Not always.

How to breathe correctly during physical exertion and stop choking on the first interaction with sports? We will understand in today's article.

The role of breathing during exercise

Breathing during exercise often remains underestimated. After all, those who do not play sports professionally in most cases do not know that success during exercise is achieved due to two factors: the load itself and oxygen.

Experts say that while playing sports, breathing plays about the same role as the exercises themselves. Since it is precisely the improvement of blood circulation, and with it the increased production of oxygen that helps the body break down fat.

Exercise is a catalyst for active inner work. They help us sweat, improve muscle condition, but without proper breathing they will not provide quick and effective disposal of excess folds.

It’s probably difficult to take a word, so let's turn to real examples. Has it ever happened to you that you have already begun a new life, and you run around every morning, and go to the gym in the evening, but the fat still does not go anywhere?

Probably yes. Then you probably were upset, dropped your hands or continued your studies, but with less enthusiasm. But this is not an option. To make the lessons easy, and then pleased with the result, it was necessary to add the development of the correct breathing technique to the list of sports innovations.

How to breathe correctly?

In this case, there are two solutions. The first is to learn how to breathe deeply. So, you will not breathe with your chest, but with your diaphragm (or, more simply, with your stomach). This method compensates for the shallow breathing that we use in everyday life.

Every day we breathe superficially, thereby protecting ourselves from the dirty air of megacities. In this case, shallow breaths are acceptable, but during training this type of breathing does not saturate the body with oxygen.

Because of this, a person quickly gets tired and begins to breathe more often. But here another mechanism works - we do not have time to fully exhale; accordingly, a large amount of carbon dioxide remains in the body and mild hypercapnia occurs. It interferes with the absorption of oxygen, and, accordingly, the burning of excess fat.

During training, you need to breathe deeply, taking into account your feelings and needs of the body. Deep breathing and self-control will help to cope with stress easier and make training more effective.

How to learn to breathe in the stomach? Follow the steps in sequence.

1. As you exhale, pull your stomach and stomach toward your spine.
2. Relax and lower your chest. Avoid physical stress. Concentrate on your sensations, you should feel how the chest becomes denser.
3. Inhale slowly through the nose. Keep your chest and abdomen flat during inspiration.
4. Fill your lungs with air. Translate it below and fill the diaphragm (muscle septum between the chest and abdominal cavity), feel how it expands.
5. After the air passes from the lungs to the diaphragm, the lower abdomen begins to expand like an inflated ball. The chest and abdomen above the navel practically do not expand.
6. At the peak of inspiration, start a slow, smooth exhalation, contracting the abdomen due to light physical effort and relaxing the diaphragm.
7. Both inhalation and exhalation should be smooth, as soundless as possible and the same in duration. Breathing became barely noticeable - you started to get it.
8. Begin the exercise with three breaths. If health allows, do the exercise nine or more times.

Not everyone perceives the technique of deep breathing unambiguously. It is believed that it can harm health with constant use. But you can try the technique and decide whether it suits you or not, based on your feelings.

The second way to breathe correctly is to choose the breath for a specific sport. For example, while running it is recommended to breathe in a rhythm of 2: 2, that is, take one breath in two steps and one exit in two steps.

In swimming, you need to inhale with your mouth, and exhale with your nose. This helps to get rid of water in the nose. It is usually difficult for beginners to master this method of breathing, you can practice during diving.

The breathing during swimming also depends on the style: if you are swimming with a breaststroke, you can inhale only when you raise your head above the water; if the crawl - then at the end of the stroke, when the face is turned to the side and the mouth is above the water. In other phases of swimming, you can only exhale air into the water.

In exercises for the development of flexibility (for example, stretching), inhalation is done in positions that contribute to the expansion of the chest, exhale - when it contracts.

It’s hard to breathe anyway ...

What to do if you were inspired by the article, tried to breathe correctly, but it’s hard to do it anyway? The main thing is not to despair. Over time, you will succeed.

Well, in order not to overload your body, try to train your respiratory organs using breathing exercises or breathing simulators. So, you will face the load not “face to face”, but gradually prepare the body for it.

When breathing on simulators, muscle training occurs due to difficulty in inhaling and exhaling. The holes through which the air passes are small, so it is more difficult to push air through all the chambers, and at the 4th stage, breathing is additionally complicated by the addition of water.

At the same time, due to the normalization of the gas composition of the blood, oxygen absorption is improved, respectively, during subsequent sports, fat burning is faster.

Respiratory exercises have a similar effect, but here you control the load on the body, the duration and length of inspirations and exhalations on your own.

By the way, it is on this action that breathing exercises for weight loss are based.

How to breathe during exercise? Brief instruction

To breathe properly during exercise:

1. Start training the respiratory system before you begin serious training, this will help the body cope with stress, and it will just be easier for you to breathe. You can train the respiratory system using breathing exercises or a simulator.
2. Learn to take deep breaths. Forget about shallow breathing during exercise. Each breath should be deep enough so that you do not begin to suffocate during class.
3. Choose a breathing technique for your sport, because specially designed techniques are always better than universal ones.
4. Do not forget about breathing during class. All mastered techniques and preparations will not give anything if you forget about them during training. Focus on sports and watch your breathing.

Remember that in any activity the main thing is not to stop halfway. Whatever you do, bring it to the end. But be sure to listen to your body: exercise should bring joy, and not harm you.

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Usually we don’t think about how we breathe, don’t monitor the depth and rhythm of breathing. However, this is of great importance during strength training. Proper breathing allows you to increase stabilization of the spine, normalize pressure and provide enough oxygen to the muscles.

So how do you breathe properly? First, let’s take a look at the breathing method itself, and later we will talk about continuity and delays.

Diaphragmatic breathing

One of the mistakes that prevents you from practicing and getting great results is quick, shallow breathing.

Take a short test to check if you are breathing correctly. Stand up straight, place one palm on your chest and the other on your stomach, and calmly take a few breaths. Under which palm does movement feel? If the stomach rises, you breathe deeply, using all the lungs, if the chest is breathing shallow. Deep breathing is also called.

The diaphragm is a muscle that separates the chest and abdominal cavity and serves to expand the lungs. It accounts for 60 to 80% of lung ventilation work.

In childhood, everyone breathes deeply. Due to sedentary work, stress, uncomfortable clothes, breathing changes with age, it becomes superficial. During such breathing, only the upper part of the lungs is filled with air. As less air enters, breathing quickens, pressure on the neck and shoulders increases, which are already loaded in people with sedentary work.

The diaphragm, on the contrary, becomes weaker, which does not create sufficient intra-abdominal pressure, forms a bad one - the center of the abdomen falls inside, bringing together the lower ribs and pelvis.

In addition, during rapid surface breathing, you force your body to work harder to get the same amount of oxygen as when breathing deeply. This reduces the efficiency of your movements - you spend more effort, although this is not required.

Therefore, it is worth working on breathing at least during the exercise. Try to breathe deeply and evenly. When inhaling, the stomach should be inflated. Yes, you will have to concentrate more on your body, but for the sake of good posture, stress relief from the muscles of the neck and shoulders and a more economical movement, you should do this.

To tune in to strength training with proper breathing, pay attention to how you breathe already during a warm-up. Try to do all exercises with rhythmic deep breathing. So you quickly learn to breathe correctly.

Exhale for effort, inhale for relaxation

This is the most popular breathing advice that can be heard in the gym and beyond: inhale when doing the easy part of the exercise, exhale with effort.

Strong and safe movement is possible only with a hard spine, which transfers force from large muscle groups. The spine is strengthened by tension of the muscles of the cortex - the rectus and oblique muscles of the abdomen, pelvic floor muscles, and back. During inspiration, it is impossible to strain other muscles of the cortex well, which means it is difficult to provide the spine with the necessary rigidity.

When exhaling, on the contrary, it is quite simple to tighten the muscles of the core. Breathing affects them reflexively through the nervous system. The muscles tighten, fixing the spine and helping to develop maximum strength. That is why the effort must be performed on the exhale.

If you pay attention to your breathing during heavy exercise, you may notice a brief stop in breathing at the moment of maximum effort. This is quite natural. Short breath holding is used by experienced powerlifters and weightlifters to lift large weights. This breathing technique is called the Valsalva maneuver, but use it very carefully.

Is Valsalva’s maneuver dangerous

Valsalva maneuver is a procedure by which high pressure is created in the middle ear cavity, as well as in the chest and abdominal cavities. It is used in otolaryngology for the test of patency of the Eustachian tubes and in cardiology for the detection of heart pathologies. This maneuver is also used in powerlifting and weightlifting and helps athletes to lift a lot of weight.

The Valsalva maneuver used in power sports is as follows: a person takes a deep breath (about 75% of the maximum possible), and then, at the moment of maximum effort, holds his breath for several seconds and tries to exhale air through a closed glottis. Breathing is delayed throughout the repetition, exhalation is performed after completion.

Valsalva's maneuver increases chest pressure. Through the diaphragm, it is transmitted to the abdominal cavity, which creates good support for the back and helps to resist forces seeking to move the spine. As a result, an athlete can lift more weight, and the risk of injury is reduced.

The effect of the Valsalva maneuver on the body

However, Valsalva’s maneuver is often criticized because it raises the pressure that is already high during strength training, which can occur.

Opinions differ on this issue. Dr. Jonathon Sullivan, professor of emergency medicine at Wayne University, believes that using the Valsalva infarction maneuver should only be feared for those who already had problems with the cardiovascular system.

In another study Effects of Weightlifting and Breathing Technique on Blood Pressure and Heart Rate.  it was found that using this technique to raise a one-time maximum causes only minor changes in blood pressure. The Valsalva maneuver is only suitable for lifting really heavy weights with a small number of repetitions.

Using the Valsalva maneuver for multiple repetitions with low weight can cause a dangerous increase in blood pressure, rupture of the blood vessels of the eyes and face, headaches, temporary visual impairment, can cause fainting or leakage of cerebrospinal fluid.

The last problem was described in the article. Don’t Hold Your Breath.  Doctors of Medicine Vishal Goyal and Multhi Srinivasan of the Department of Medicine, University of California.

A 50-year-old patient complained of headaches in the projection of the nose, continuous coughing and constant unilateral discharge from the nose. As a result of the tests, doctors discovered a leak of cerebrospinal fluid and damage to the nasal ethmoid bone. It turned out that the patient every day performed a chest press with a weight of 90-136 kilograms. At the same time, he held his breath during the bench press.

Doctors suggested that the patient’s problems arose precisely because of Valsalva’s maneuver. Training increased pressure, destroyed the soft meninges, which caused meningocele and rhinorrhea of \u200b\u200bcerebrospinal fluid.

Valsalva's maneuver really helps to lift heavy weights, but it should not be used if:

• you are a beginner who does not have the necessary equipment and a coach who can track the correct execution of the Valsalva maneuver;
• you prefer exercises with a small weight and a large number of repetitions;
• you had problems with the cardiovascular system;
• you had problems with intracranial pressure.

Body fastening and continuous breathing

For medium loads, it is worth using continuous breathing without delay - exhale for effort, inhale for relaxation.

Start exhaling a little earlier, a moment before maximum effort. So you can do more.

Breathing should be smooth and rhythmic. Do not stop at extreme points. Immediately after inhalation, exhale without short delays.

To ensure maximum rigidity, try using the fastening method. This term was first used by Dr. Stuart McGill, a specialist in injuries and rehabilitation of the lumbar spine. Fixation - activation of all the muscles of the core, which allows you to create a rigid middle part of the body, ensure stability of the entire body and reduce the risk of injury.

Before lifting weights, imagine that you are now hit in the stomach. Tighten your abdominal and back muscles. So you create a rigid corset that you need to hold throughout the exercise. At the same time, breathe continuously, exhaling at maximum effort and further strengthening the body.

There is another theory about breathing in time. Dr. Stuart McGill and Dr. Mel Stiff believe that the right exercise technique will automatically make the body breathe correctly, your control will not be required.

But this is true only for the perfect technique. If you cannot boast of this, work on your breath as well as on technique.

Summary

1. Try to develop diaphragmatic breathing. Breathe this way during a workout to get used to and tune in.
2. Use the Valsalva maneuver for only a few reps with maximum weight.
3. For exercises with a large number of repetitions, use continuous smooth breathing, inhaling to the easy part of the exercise and exhaling to maximum effort.
4. Together with continuous breathing, use fastening - the tension of the core muscles to stabilize the body during exercise.

If you have breathing tips during strength training, write in the comments.

Appropriate breathing during training, how to breathe correctly under power loads, breathing during running, how to restore breathing after running, swimming and proper breathing.

The desire to look beautiful, to have a slender waist and muscular muscles, to feel cheerful makes us devote time to training. Someone prefers to attend sports. gym, others - train at home. Wherever your classes take place, special attention should be paid to proper breathing, the technique of which can be mastered at home. Many experts argue that proper breathing when performing exercises is the basis of the effectiveness of any workout. What threatens improper breathing when performing physical exercises? Incorrect breathing will result in:

1. Decrease in efficiency from the performed exercises.

Not enough oxygen entering the bloodstream slows down the process of fat breakdown, and it becomes harder for you to get rid of extra pounds.

2. Improper functioning of the cardiovascular system.

Due to the lack of oxygen, the heart works with some interruptions. During exercise, a person who breathes improperly gets tired 2 times faster.

How to master the breathing technique during training? A few recommendations will help you with this!

Proper breathing during training

Before starting a workout, take 2-3 deep breaths. During classes, you must adhere to the main rule: we make an effort on the exhale. When you inhale, AT (arterial pressure) rises, so at this moment it is important to exclude excess load. In addition, the execution of a particular exercise requires concentration, and coordinating your movements while exhaling is much easier.

Tip for a beginner: exercise well before breathing. You need to inhale the diaphragm, not the chest, fully using the lungs. At the same time, breathing should be smooth and deep, and the exercises themselves should be performed slowly. I must say that breathing during power exercises, running, swimming or aerobics is somewhat different. Some types of training require frequent intermittent (shallow) breathing, others require breathing slowly and smoothly. After breathing properly will become a good habit, you can begin to exercise. The first time you have to control your breathing, after a while breathing correctly will become your habit.

How to breathe under power loads

Novice athletes should inhale and exhale air like this: “fuhhh!” Without holding their breath. It’s important not to overdo it. The main thing is not loud, but right! Performing a small load during training, you can breathe freely. When performing exercises with a large weight (dumbbells, barbell), the effort should be done exclusively on the exhale. For example, when lifting weights, inhale should be on bent arms, and exhale - while lifting.

Some trainers advise holding your breath, but this point is quite controversial, especially if there are problems with blood pressure (blood pressure). During push-ups, compliance with the correct respiratory regimen will not be difficult: inhale on straight arms and exhale on bent arms. It is important when push-ups to keep the back straight, without straining the muscles.

Running breath

During running, a person’s need for oxygen increases by almost 10 times. Not paying enough attention to the cardio load is equivalent to the fact that the benefits of sports training will be less than harm. That is why it becomes important to monitor your breathing while running. Training should also begin with a warm-up, during which you should also breathe correctly. At the moment of tension - inhale, the least tension - exhale. For example, when tilting, exhale, while lifting, inhale. Immediately before jogging, you can carry out "ventilation of the lungs." For this, about 1 minute should be performed 10 deep breaths / exhalations.

During training it is recommended to inhale through the nose, exhale through the mouth. This technique allows you to breathe in clean air, which is cleaned in the nasal mucosa, and exhale - as much carbon dioxide as possible, providing better ventilation of the lungs. Breathing exclusively through the nose is wrong. A sufficient amount of oxygen does not pass through the nose, provoking oxygen starvation. Mouth breathing is also incorrect. So you can supercool the respiratory system.

In addition, without going through cleaning through the nasal mucosa, all microorganisms and dust penetrate the bronchi, trachea and settle there, causing infectious diseases. Many professional runners are advised to apply methods of alternating inspirations and exhalations at certain time intervals. For example, you can inhale through the nose for some time, exhale through the mouth, and then vice versa. This will allow you to control the amount of air entering the lungs.

1. Do not chew gum during exercise.
2. If you begin to choke, slow down your pace.
3. With pain in the side, you should slow down, walk for several minutes, and then continue running again.
4. Do not immediately run long distances, start your training with small races.
5. Do not stop immediately after your workout. Walk for several minutes on foot, gradually normalizing breathing.

To restore breathing after running, you should perform several deep breaths with your nose and exhale with your mouth.

Learning to breathe properly while running will help a small test. To do this, you need to perform several consecutive steps:

1. Lie down on your back;
2. Put one hand on the chest and the other on the stomach;
3. Take a few deep breaths.

If during breathing there is a movement of the hand on the stomach, then you are breathing correctly - the diaphragm, there is no lack of oxygen. If a hand moves on the chest - breathing is wrong. There is a lack of oxygen. This test will help you learn how to breathe in the diaphragm, providing the greatest effectiveness in training.

Swimming and breathing

It is quite difficult to breathe correctly in the pool. Improper breathing contributes to rapid fatigue, constant tension of the muscles of the back and neck. Having mastered the correct breathing technique, you can swim comfortably in any way and at any distance.

In swimming, inhalation is carried out through the mouth, exhalation through the nose. You need to exhale for a long time, this helps to clear the nose of water. When swimming the breaststroke, it is imperative to inhale for each stroke. Butterfly involves breathing in for every second stroke, and the crawl all the time under one arm or alternately under each arm. While swimming on your back, you can breathe in the way you feel comfortable, observing a certain rhythm and without delay. In any case, you need to breathe evenly, rhythmically, without interruption.

It is especially difficult for beginners to learn the breathing technique. In this case, it will be relevant (especially for children) to perform a special exercise: standing in the water, you need to take a deep breath and dive under the water with your head. Count to 15 and emerge. The exercise should be repeated 10-15 times, gradually increasing the number of dives up to 25 times. Training breathing in this way will help you learn faster the technique of proper breathing, prepare your lungs for a certain load in the water.

Proper breathing during exercise is a science. Honestly, playing sports would be worth starting with a careful study of the principles of proper breathing, and ignoring them is definitely not worth it.

Today I want to tell you some secrets that will help to significantly increase the effectiveness of training and finally achieve the desired results: lose weight, acquire a beautiful muscle profile, become stronger and more durable, in general, emphasize what is needed.

How to breathe properly during physical activity - simple rules for everyone

  Please remember: breathing during training should be deep and even! Accustom yourself to this. With shallow breathing, the blood is not properly saturated with oxygen, which in combination with physical exertion can lead to the most sad consequences: cardiac arrhythmias, jumps in blood pressure, short-term loss of consciousness.

To prevent all these troubles from happening to you, try to bring the proper breathing technique to automatism. To get started, learn a few simple rules:

Breathe not with your chest, but with your stomach (more precisely, your diaphragm);
  - inhale through the nose, exhale through the mouth (sometimes “nose breathing” is more justified, that is, inhalation and exhalation are performed through the nose);
  - when performing any exercise, exhalation should fall on that phase in which the muscles are most strained. The exhalation must not be delayed in any case!

If you work in a club, consult your instructor before starting training and try to get specific recommendations about breathing during classes. Each “sport” is in every sport.

As for, there are nuances that I would like to talk about in more detail.

How to breathe while running

  If you are just starting to run, try using the breathing technique of professional runners. Here it is: two steps on the inhale, two steps on the exhale. Inhale and exhale are done smoothly and naturally. Of course, at first it will be difficult to accustom yourself to a clear respiratory rhythm. That is why start with a slow run or fast walk, without increasing the pace until the breathing technique is brought to automaticity. While jogging, try to breathe exclusively through the nose, and only in certain cases - for example, when running on rough terrain (uphill, etc.), you can practice the so-called "fiery breathing": inhale through the nose, exhale with effort through the mouth.

How to breathe when push-ups

Remember the basic rule: exhale is done at the moment of greatest effort. This means that you need to breathe in while standing lying down, and at the time of bending your arms - exhale. The torso is lifted by inspiration. Do not hold your breath during push-ups!

It is probably unnecessary to remind you that breathing during push-ups should be deep. However, this is so.

How to breathe when pulling up

  But pulling things up is not so simple. One often has to hear and even read tips to be pulled in as you inhale and lower yourself as you exhale. This, of course, is fundamentally wrong (although just such a sequence seems logical at first glance). The secret is that you inhale before the start of the exercise, and exhale and pull up at the same time. The exhalation phase ends at the upper point, and inhalation is also done there. It is necessary to lower again on the exhale.

When pulling up, you also can’t hold your breath - it is simply dangerous and fraught with a sharp rise in blood pressure.

How to breathe when press

  The most common mistake when swinging the press is holding your breath for one or two or more lifts. If you breathe "intermittently," then the desired result - a tucked up stomach - most likely will not be achieved. But more than likely:

Deterioration of health, dizziness and even loss of consciousness;
  - a feeling of "overtraining", severe fatigue;
  - other unpleasant sensations (discomfort, nausea, muscle pain).

All this, of course, is associated with a banal lack of oxygen, and as a result, with oxygen starvation of the muscles and brain.

Breathing on doing

I welcome you to my page! Today's topic is simple at first glance, but when it comes to how to breathe properly during exercise, this question baffles many. What can be complicated and incomprehensible in such a usual process as breathing? And why is it so important to do this wisely?

Special breathing techniques exist to enrich the body with every oxygen necessary for the development and functioning of oxygen as fully as possible. And for a person involved in sports, the skills of conscious correct breathing should be developed in the first place. They will not only help to achieve a better result, but also greatly simplify training.

Proper breathing during warm-up

Morning usually consists of fairly simple exercises that do not require excessive physical exertion. But even with their implementation, it is necessary to monitor breathing.

The basic rule is to monitor the coordination of movements and phases of breathing. So, you need to exhale when the muscles are as tight as possible, and inhale during the relaxation period.

Consider the example of squats with a barbell. Going down, you need to take a breath. Rising, you make an active movement, in which the body is tensed, then we exhale.

We must not forget that breathing in this way is necessary with each approach. Otherwise, you will be exhausted very quickly, because the lungs will be oversaturated with oxygen due to the frequent uncontrolled capture of air.

Type of breath

Of great importance is the type of breathing. The superficial, which affects only the upper body, is completely ineffective. But if you breathe by connecting the abdominal muscles (inhalation - the stomach protrudes, exhale - is pulled in), the body will work at full capacity.

If you are sure that you are breathing correctly, try to test yourself by passing such a test. Lying one palm put on the chest, the second on the stomach. And we breathe in, as we usually do. Track which hand is taller. If the one that lies on your stomach means that you are doing everything right. Otherwise, learn abdominal breathing.

Proper breathing during the main phase of sports

In general, the approach remains the same, but depending on there are several nuances, the correct observance of which will lead to optimal results.

When we make continuous movements for a long time, the body experiences significant stress. Our task is to help him, including through proper breathing.

Each inhale and exhalation should be clearly controlled, correlating them with motor activity. During the time, it is optimal to complete the inhalation-exhalation complex every 4 steps. But it is possible to reduce this order to 2 steps.

In any case, you need to listen to yourself, adjusting your breathing so that it is comfortable to run.

These instructions do not apply to short-distance runs, during which physical activity increases many times, and the lungs simply are not able to get enough oxygen. But at the end of the race, the body compensates for the energy costs of its implementation.

If you have recently begun to practice, it is advisable to exhale during each approach with the sound "Fu-u-x". Do not be afraid to seem ridiculous - you can make a sound very quietly, making the main emphasis on the correct exit of air from the lungs.

Holding your breath, especially when doing weightlifting exercises, is strongly discouraged. This leads to a sharp lack of oxygen and can even cause fainting.

There are exercises that include simultaneous relaxation-muscle tension in different parts of the body. In this case, it is also necessary to exhale only during the phase of tension, to another part of the body, which at this time is relaxed, not paying attention.

Overcoming the resistance of water, muscles tighten many times stronger than if you do exercises on land. But it is worth accustoming yourself to breathe properly and any difficulties in the development of the water will become less.

The main rule during swimming is to take a short breath through the mouth and exhale slowly through the nose. This is due to the fact that you need to get rid of water that has got into the nasal passages.

Beginner swimmers need to complete the following exercise.
  Take a deep breath, holding your breath, and fall under the water completely for 10-15 seconds. Then rise and exhale. So you need to train gradually until the number of dives reaches 20 times. It helps a lot in preparing for swimming.