The most popular choice of exercise during lockdown has been running. Why? Well for obvious reasons; it’s free, it doesn’t require any equipment other than a decent pair of trainers suitable for running and you can be any age and any fitness level to take it up.
During lockdown millions of new runners took to the streets and trails to get their daily exercise and maintain their mental health and sanity with a peaceful run. Referring back to fitness levels, although you don’t have to be any certain fitness level, some people are better runners than others and as with everything, any tips that help you improve and make things easier are always worth knowing.
Something that has gone viral recently on social media platform Tiktok, that isn’t a new dance for a change, is a simple, yet effective breathing technique that was shared by a runner in Germany.
Keen runner Franziska Schoebel is a CrossFit athlete and influencer, who advises runners to breathe in for two steps and breathe out for two steps. An alternative if you have a shorter stride length, is to try the technique with three steps between each breath.
There have been many different suggestions for running breathing techniques by running experts over the years but this one seems to have really hit home with people. Breathing techniques when running has always been an issue for runners. Dr William Roberts, director of the Sports Medicine Program at the University of Minnesota Medical School, US, explains that, ‘The brain has sensors that detect reductions in blood oxygen and will respond by signalling the body to breathe faster and deeper,' when running. These lowered oxygen levels may account for the feeling of breathlessness early in your run, and this will be especially notable in those who are novice runners and/or who don’t exercise much.
Give this new technique a try on your next outdoor run and let us know how you get on!
