Most of us don't think about breathing while running. We just do it. But when the pace picks up and every breath feels like it's fighting back, you start to pay attention.

Learning how to work with the breath is a skill. By sharpening your focus to each inhale and exhale, you can steady your rhythm and make hard efforts feel more manageable.  

Stuart Sandeman, the founder of Breathpod and a Peak Performance Coach and judo black belt, has dedicated his life to studying the breath. After going through one of the hardest experiences of his life – losing his girlfriend to cancer – his perspective on the breath changed entirely.

Not as a reaction, but as a tool. Something you can reach for, whether you’re settling into an easy run or digging deep in the final miles.  

Here are seven breathing techniques for running. Try one. See what changes.

When it comes to running, many of us default to chest breathing, especially as the effort climbs. Short, shallow, tight. It can make breathing feel harder than it needs to.  

Belly breathing does the opposite. It creates space, encourages fuller breaths and helps you stay relaxed as the pace increases.  

Before you head out, Stuart suggests closing your eyes and checking in with your body. Roll your shoulders, stretch lightly and loosen any tension with a little movement. If you feel dizzy or lightheaded, take a break and listen to your body.

You can also practice this on your back with one hand resting on your belly. Inhale and feel your hand rise while your chest stays relatively still. Exhale and feel your belly fall. 

When you take it outside, start easy. Focus on a full exhale and let the inhale follow naturally. Shoulders relaxed. Jaw soft.

Rhythmic breathing is simple: match your breath to your steps. Try inhaling for three steps and exhaling for two. It gives your mind something to focus on and helps you settle into a steady rhythm. 

As the effort changes, so can the pattern.

At an easy pace, try breathing in and out through your nose. It can keep the effort controlled, calm the nervous system and give you a useful pace check. If nose breathing feels difficult, you may be running harder than you think. Make sure your easy run actually feels easy.

As the effort climbs, let your mouth take over. That's not a failure of technique. It's your body responding to the demand and taking in more oxygen when it needs it. 

Before an early run or a hard workout, your body sometimes needs a signal that it’s time to move. This technique delivers it. 

Using short, sharp nose exhales, you’ll wake your nervous system and raise your alertness before you take a single step.

As Sandeman describes it: “It’s like you are blowing something off your upper lip.” Pull your navel toward your spine with each exhale and let the inhale happen naturally. 

Try it for a few focused minutes during your running warm-up, then follow with a few slow, deep belly breaths. You’ll feel the difference.  

Note: If you’re pregnant or have any underlying health conditions, check with your doctor before giving it a go.

Some breathing techniques calm you down. Others fire you up. Alternate nostril breathing does both. It can help quiet mental noise and slows the heart rate while keeping you alert and focused.  

Stuart thinks about it like “climbing a mountain.” He says, “You climb up one side of the nose, climb down the other, then climb back up again and down to the beginning.”

Here’s how:

- Cover your left nostril. Inhale through the right. - Cover your right nostril. Exhale through the left. - Inhale through the left. - Cover the left. Exhale through the right.

That’s one round. It may feel awkward at first. Stick with it. A few rounds is often enough to find a calmer, clearer headspace. 

Every runner knows the feeling of a side stitch. A sharp pain below the ribs that appears out of nowhere and threatens to derail your rhythm.  

Side stitches are often linked to breathing patterns, pacing and how quickly you ramp up effort. The best defense is simple: warm up properly, avoid eating a big meal too close to a run, start easy and focus on breathing from your belly rather than your chest. 

If a stitch strikes mid-run, ease off slightly and take a sharp exhale as the foot opposite the stitch hits the ground. It sounds oddly specific, but many runners find it helps release the tension. A few controlled breaths later, you should feel back in your stride.

The run is over. But your heart rate is still up. 

Before you consider what to eat after a run or how to recover after a hard effort, take a few moments to slow things down with your breath. 

Known as Sheetali Pranayama, this cooling technique can help shift your body from effort to recovery.  

Start by rolling your tongue into a tube shape and inhale through it like a straw for a count of five. Keep your shoulders relaxed and breathe into your belly. Then close your mouth and exhale slowly through your nose. 

Can’t roll your tongue? Gently clench your teeth and breathe in through them instead. Same count, same slow exhale, same effect.

Learning how to breathe while running takes practice. Start with one technique and try it out on your next run. See what feels natural. Every run starts with the breath.  

Choose gear that supports your run too. Light, responsive and out of the way, so you can focus on your breathing.