How should you breathe when you run?
Breathe in whatever way feels natural, which for most people at a steady pace means through both nose and mouth, and let it fall into an easy rhythm with your steps. If you are gasping in the first few minutes, the problem is rarely your breathing technique; it is almost always the pace, so slow down until you could speak in full sentences.
Zestasy Wiki: our reference answers. Checked for facts and sources; less curated than the magazine.
Breathing is the one part of running nobody has to teach you, which is perhaps why it causes so much worry. Most of what goes wrong with it is not about technique at all. It is about speed.
Nose or mouth?
Both are fine. At a gentle pace some people like breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth, and some find it calming. As the effort rises, almost everyone opens their mouth, because you simply need more air, and there is nothing wrong with that. Trying to keep your mouth shut on a hill out of principle makes the hill harder, not nobler.
A practical approach:
- On easy runs, breathe however feels relaxed. If nose breathing comes naturally, enjoy it.
- On hills, faster bits or warm days, open your mouth and let the air in.
- In cold air, some runners like a buff or scarf loosely over the mouth for the first minutes, simply because it feels nicer.
The talk test: your built-in speedometer
The most useful breathing cue in running is borrowed from public health guidance. The US public health agency, the CDC, describes a simple talk test: during moderate activity you can talk but not sing, and during vigorous activity you cannot say more than a few words without pausing for breath.
For an easy run, aim to stay on the talking side of that line. If you can say a full sentence to a running friend (or to yourself, quietly, if you are alone and do not mind looking slightly eccentric), the pace is right. If you are down to two-word answers, ease off. Our guide to how slow an easy run should be goes deeper.
Why breathing hard early usually means going too fast
The first minutes of a run are when the body is still getting going. If you set off at the pace you hope to finish at, you will be puffing before the end of the street, and it will feel as if you are bad at breathing. You are not. You are just early.
Start slower than feels necessary, especially for the first ten minutes, and let your breathing find its own level. Our piece on the first ten minutes of a run is entirely about this awkward stretch.
Rhythm, if you like it
Some runners like to match breathing to steps, for example breathing in over a few steps and out over a few more. It can be soothing, a bit like counting in a swimming pool. It is not compulsory, and nobody is checking. If counting makes you tense, stop counting.
What tends to help more than any particular pattern:
- Relax the shoulders. Tension creeps up into the neck and makes breathing feel tight. Drop them every few minutes.
- Breathe out fully. A long, relaxed out-breath makes room for the next in-breath.
- Stand tall. Running hunched over a phone or a watch squashes everything. Look ahead, not down.
When breathing feels wrong
A side stitch, a sharp pain under the ribs, is common and usually eases if you slow down and breathe out steadily; see our guide to the side stitch. Breathlessness that feels out of proportion to the effort, chest pain, dizziness or wheezing are different: stop, and talk to a doctor before running again. If you have asthma or another condition affecting your breathing, ask your doctor or nurse how to run comfortably with it.
FAQ
Is it bad to breathe through my mouth when running?
No. Mouth breathing is normal when the effort goes up. Use whatever lets you breathe comfortably and keep a relaxed face and jaw.
Should I time my breathing with my steps?
Only if you enjoy it. A rhythm can be calming, but there is no single correct pattern, and a relaxed out-breath matters more than counting.
Why do I feel out of breath even on slow runs?
Often because the slow run is not quite slow enough, especially at the start. Try running a little slower, walking briefly when you need to, and seeing whether the talk test gets easier over the following weeks.
Does breathing get easier the more I run?
For most people running feels more comfortable with regular practice, and the pace they can chat at tends to creep up. Keep the easy runs genuinely easy and let it happen on its own.
Sources
Written by the Zestasy editors. General information for curious adults, not medical, nutrition or training advice.