Running, breathing and stress relief are closely connected. At a slower pace your focus is on the rhythmic movement and breath. Your body creates vibrations through all your body cells, feeding them with new blood enriched with oxygen. The repetitiveness of the breath and heart rate calms the entire body down.
Running:
Strengthens respiratory muscles
Enhances lung capacity
Improves respiratory function
Technique: Diaphragmatic Breathing
Practice breathing deeply into your diaphragm rather than shallow chest breathing. Inhale deeply through your nose, allowing your abdomen to expand, then exhale slowly through your mouth, feeling your abdomen contract. This technique maximizes oxygen intake and promotes relaxation.
Performance optimization
Learning proper breathing techniques while running is essential for optimizing performance, and enhancing endurance, but it also calms us down. It's about nurturing one of the most vital organs in our body—the lungs. When you run, you engage in deep, rhythmic breathing, which effectively expands your lung capacity over time. As you push yourself further in your running endeavors, your lungs adapt by becoming more efficient at oxygen exchange, allowing you to take in larger volumes of air with each breath.
Relaxation response
Good breathing techniques activate the body's parasympathetic nervous system, triggering a relaxation response. In time by running slowly you will get to breathe more deeply and slowly, which in turn signals the brain to release calming neurotransmitters like serotonin and GABA. This process reduces heart rate, lowers blood pressure, and as a result, we experience reduced anxiety, improved mental clarity, and an overall sense of calmness and well-being.
So, whether you're a seasoned marathoner or a casual jogger, keep running for the breath of life it brings. Your lungs will thank you for it!