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How to breathe correctly during training. Correct breathing technique

At the beginning of pregnancy, as a rule, women are so absorbed in bearing the baby that they do not even think about how the birth will take place. But the closer the long-awaited day comes, the more questions arise: how to behave correctly during childbirth, how to ease contractions and how to breathe correctly?

The question of proper breathing during childbirth does not arise by chance, because it is precisely this that helps a woman regain strength and contributes to a faster and easier birth process.

Proper breathing during childbirth is the key to a quick delivery

Many experts argue that proper breathing during contractions and pushing helps a woman ease the labor process and somewhat speed up its progress. Is it really correct technique Can breathing ease the pain that childbirth brings? Yes, that's actually true.

With proper breathing, a woman can calm down and relax; in addition, proper breathing techniques are designed in such a way that the diaphragm does not interfere with childbirth, but, on the contrary, helps.

What explains the fact that proper breathing during childbirth can help a faster delivery? It's all quite simple: a woman who focuses on proper breathing during childbirth pays less attention to pain, the dilation of the cervix occurs faster, and, therefore, the baby is born earlier.

Oxygen plays an important role for the muscles of a woman in labor; its sufficient supply helps the muscles contract better, and the baby simply needs a large number of oxygen, and proper breathing during childbirth is aimed specifically at saturating the mother’s body with oxygen.

Even though we were all already born with unconditioned reflex breathing, it is important for a pregnant woman to learn specific techniques. A woman during childbirth must breathe in a special way; this breathing cannot be compared with ordinary human breathing. That is why you need to prepare for the process of childbirth in advance and master proper breathing techniques that will help facilitate and speed up childbirth.

It is also worth noting that training should take several months; only in this case, you will be able to work out your skills to the maximum, and you will know exactly how to breathe during a given period of labor. By the way, breathing has its own distinctive features depending on the . But what all the techniques have in common is that a pregnant woman must learn to control inhalation and exhalation.

Proper breathing technique during childbirth: how to breathe in different periods

So, as mentioned above, for each period of the birth process, there is a certain technique for proper breathing during childbirth that can help a woman in the difficult work of bringing a baby into the world. Let's take a closer look at each period and find out the features of breathing during labor and pushing.

Correct breathing during contractions

As a rule, a woman goes to the maternity hospital at the first contractions, which appear and then disappear, they do not bring much pain and are expressed only in stretching of the abdomen. Later, contractions become constant and repeat at regular intervals.

With the onset of regular contractions, the woman in labor must clearly remember what not to do during this period, namely: do not try to suppress pain, do not clamp down, do not strain and do not scream. All these actions will not bring relief, but, on the contrary, will only hinder you, the body will get tired and exhausted ahead of time, and the pain will still not go away.

Many women giving birth for the first time tense very much during each contraction, thereby suppressing the labor process; excessive tension interferes with the correct and rapid dilation of the cervix. In this case, doctors are forced to anesthetize contractions and, using medications. A woman’s tightness also does not lead to anything good: the baby receives an insufficient amount of oxygen, which can lead to and also affect the condition of the baby and its development after birth.

According to pediatricians, it is the babies who had to endure hypoxia during childbirth who have a harder time adapting and are more susceptible to various diseases. Therefore, try to relax as much as possible and apply the breathing techniques that will be described below.

At the beginning of contractions you must adhere to the following technique: inhale through your nose for four counts, and exhale through your mouth for six counts. Remember that the inhalation should be slightly shorter than the exhalation. Exhaling through your mouth, make a “tube” with your lips. This method of breathing will allow you to relax your muscles as much as possible, calm down and fill the body with oxygen, because it is a full exhalation that allows you to saturate the blood and body of mother and baby required quantity oxygen.

If you use this technique, you will have to constantly count, and, therefore, you simply will not have time to think about pain, the main thing is to inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth.

When contractions become more intense and frequent, it is necessary to speed up breathing, for this it is recommended to use the following technique. This type of breathing is also called “doggy breathing”; it may seem funny at first glance, but not during contractions. You need to breathe shallowly, with your mouth slightly open, the way dogs breathe during hot periods.

Throw away all prejudices and don’t be afraid to look funny, neither obstetricians nor doctors will be surprised, and your the main task during the period of labor - to ease your fate as much as possible and help the baby to be born sooner. Therefore, open your mouth, stick out your tongue slightly and start breathing quickly.

During cervical dilatation uterus, you can use another breathing technique, which is called “train”. The principle of this technique is quite simple: when a contraction begins, start breathing quickly, shallowly, inhale through your nose, and then quickly exhale through your mouth, pursing your lips into a tube. As soon as the intensity of the contraction subsides and the pain becomes less noticeable, try to calm your breathing. This method helps to “breathe” the most acute pain during contractions.

How to behave during pushing

When a woman in labor begins to push, she should completely trust the obstetrician; he will be the one who will tell you how to behave correctly so that the birth of the baby goes as quickly as possible.

Listen to the advice of your obstetrician-gynecologist, he will explain how to breathe, how to push, when to do it and when to rest. Average duration pushing is about one minute. It is necessary to take as deep a breath as possible and push as you exhale, trying to put pressure on the uterus with the entire volume of air.

Make sure everything the tension didn't go away, otherwise you will not be able to avoid rupture of blood vessels on your face and eyes. All your efforts should be aimed at the birth of your baby. If it happens that you did not take in the required amount of air, do not worry, quickly exhale and take a new breath as quickly as possible, and then push again.

“Breathing on a candle” is considered most effective during pushing. To master this technique, inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth as if you were blowing out a candle; this technique may be accompanied by chanting vowels.

As soon as the baby's head is born, you need to try to breathe freely or use the doggy breathing technique.

If the woman in labor breathes correctly during pushing, then the baby is born quite quickly: in three or four pushings, which bring relief, but if the obstetrician sees that the woman no longer has the strength, then she is given the opportunity to rest.

What else is important to know about proper breathing techniques?

Practice proper breathing, as often as possible in order to be as prepared as possible for the moment of birth. At first you may have hyperventilation, the symptoms of which are dizziness, darkening of the eyes, and lightheadedness. Inhaling and holding your breath will help get rid of these symptoms, or breathe into your palms, first connecting them.

Often, when breathing with an open mouth, it occurs dryness in oral cavity You can get rid of this symptom by touching the tip of your tongue to the roof of your mouth or by rinsing your mouth with water.

Voluntary breathing during childbirth only aggravates and prolongs the labor process. Control every breath you take, do not forget to count, do not be distracted by extraneous matters and do not revel in the feeling of pain, the main thing to remember is that the child has a much harder time during childbirth than his mother, so talk to the baby. It’s good if someone close to you is next to you during contractions, a person who will help you relax, give you a massage and make sure you don’t forget about proper breathing.

You need to start training proper breathing as early as possible so that this process becomes automatic and a model of behavior during childbirth is developed in the brain. The main thing is to relax during childbirth, turn off panic and start breathing correctly!

In conclusion, I would like to note once again that labor is a rather complex process that requires preparation and responsibility. Prepare yourself psychologically for childbirth - this is very important, think it over various situations and your behavior in different periods childbirth Remember that the doctor and obstetrician are your assistants, so listen carefully to their advice and follow all recommendations.

Breathing techniques during childbirth, if you can master them in advance, will greatly help you relax and concentrate on the process. Have a successful and easy birth!

Replies

In the process of life, we rarely think about the importance of breathing. We just breathe, it’s a reflex, it’s familiar and simple. In fact, breathing can perform many more functions than just gas exchange. In particular, certain breathing techniques can help in the treatment of serious illnesses and affect work internal organs and even reduce pain. That is why during childbirth a woman is recommended to breathe correctly. In this article we will tell you how to breathe correctly during childbirth in order to alleviate your own condition and make the baby’s condition more stable.

How does breathing affect?

Even children know that the way you inhale and exhale affects your well-being. If you run for a long time and breathe deeply through your mouth, then you will really want to sleep, and if you breathe “like a dog” with short breaths, you will feel dizzy. The way you breathe can slow down or speed up not only gas exchange, but also metabolism.

With calm, measured, moderately deep breathing, all tissues of the body are saturated with oxygen, as a result of which they begin to work more correctly, the muscles relax. This effect of breathing techniques and methods was noticed by ancient doctors. Many auxiliary techniques in psychiatry, psychotherapy, and physiotherapy are based on changing the respiratory rhythm and depth of inspiration. Obstetricians and gynecologists also ask you to breathe correctly.

Normal inhalations and exhalations can help during childbirth, because with proper breathing, sufficient accumulation of oxygen is achieved in the mother's body. This is excellent prevention fetal hypoxia during childbirth - a condition dangerous for the baby. The child during the birth process, which is also for him serious test, must, until the last moment - before cutting off the umbilical cord, receive a sufficient amount of oxygen from the mother's blood.

If a woman screams and breathes haphazardly, she uses up oxygen, and her own organs begin to experience oxygen starvation. Moreover, she cannot provide the required amount of vital gas for her baby.

With the correct breathing technique, a woman gains some control over the condition of her muscles - it is easier for her to relax, which reduces pain, and also speeds up the birth process, since there are no muscle tensions or blockages. When the blood is sufficiently oxygenated, a woman’s body activates the production of endorphins, which not only have the ability to elevate mood, but are also an effective natural pain reliever.

Proper breathing makes pushing more effective, resulting in a baby being born faster and reducing the risk of ruptures. The level of stress and birth fears in a woman in labor who breathes as she should is significantly lower. As a result, the woman giving birth has better control over her emotions and better contact with the obstetric team.

Labor breathing techniques are included in the childbirth preparation program. IN different time they were studied by various doctors and scientists. Today, all women giving birth in the world breathe according to the method of the French obstetrician Fernand Lamaze, who formulated the basics of natural pain relief for childbirth. The methods of Bekhterev and Lurie are also known - their developments became a solid basis for the Lamaze system. In Russia, breathing using the method of Dr. Alexander Kobasa is very popular.

You can and should become familiar with the techniques and exercises while you are pregnant - the basics of these techniques are taught in courses for expectant mothers, which are offered free of charge at every antenatal consultation.

Even if a woman does not have time to attend such classes, there are many video tutorials that you should definitely use to practice.

If future mom If she carries out such training even during pregnancy, then during childbirth she will not have any questions about how and when to inhale and exhale.

Basic Techniques

During childbirth, a woman will successively go through several periods of labor - contractions, pushing, and the birth of the placenta. In each period, breathing will be different and serve different purposes. Before mastering the inhalations and exhalations characteristic of each stage of labor, you should begin training by training the very ways of inhaling and exhaling.

IN Everyday life we breathe shallowly, without giving it special significance. At the same time, we can take breaths with both the chest and stomach in any arbitrary order. You can't breathe like that during childbirth. To streamline reflex movements, you need to master the following types of breathing in stages.

Belly– while the chest remains practically motionless, only the stomach rises as you inhale. A woman can control the process with her own hands. One of them is placed with the palm on the stomach, and the other - on chest. While a pregnant woman is watching a movie, she can easily work out. The hand on the chest should remain motionless.

Chest - again, two palms come to the rescue, but the requirements are the opposite - the chest must rise, the peritoneum must remain calm.

Combined – in this type, both the chest and abdomen are involved. Inhale - the chest rises, exhale - the stomach rises, then inhale with the stomach, and exhale with the chest. You need to imagine that the air passes from top to bottom and back easily, freely, wave-like. At first it will be difficult, but gradually it will definitely work out.
Save oxygen– this technique will be useful during the pushing period of labor, when a woman will need to save air in her lungs to ensure the force of pushing. When training, you should breathe combined, but unevenly. If normal combined breathing involves inhalations and exhalations of equal duration, then in economical mode the exhalation should be twice as long as the inhalation.
Often and fractionally - short and sharp inhalations and exhalations of the chest, lower and combined types. This method will help ease contractions. Popular exercises that will help you master the technique are simple and widely known. These are "Dog's Breath", as well as "Candle" and "Big Candle". There is no need to tell you how to breathe “like a dog”; we all know and can do this from childhood. “Candle” - a short inhalation and the same exhalation (this is how a person extinguishes the flame of a candle). “Big candle” - a long inhalation and a series of short sharp exhalations (this is how a person extinguishes several candles standing nearby).
Learning to push– this technique will be an indispensable assistant for a woman in labor during pushing. But it must be studied with caution. A woman should imagine that when she inhales deeply through her chest, a round shape appears inside her chest. balloon. The task, at the command of the obstetrician, is to “push” the imaginary ball down onto the uterus from above. Exhalation is done when there is no longer a physiological ability to hold air inside.

These techniques can be repeated in any body position, at any time. Even training for 10 minutes a day will definitely have an effect. Besides breathing exercises very useful during pregnancy.

Start of labor

With the appearance of the first contractions, the cervix begins to dilate. Muscle tension, fear, and panic in this situation can negatively affect the condition of the cervix. Therefore, if you find yourself having regular contractions, it is best to relax, tune in to a positive mood and start counting contractions and breathing correctly.

The period of contractions is called the first stage of labor. It, in turn, consists of a latent, active and transition stage. In the latent stage, contractions are quite rare - they are repeated approximately once every half hour and are not painful. During this stage, the woman can stay at home. You need to go to the maternity hospital when contractions begin to repeat once every five minutes.

At home, in addition to calculating the interval between contractions, you need to rest. You can walk, sit, stand, but lying down is not recommended. IN vertical position The cervix opens faster under the pressure of the baby's head and gravity. Therefore, you can safely drink tea and prepare borscht for your spouse for several days in advance. At the same time, do not forget to take measured and deep breaths and measured, smooth exhalations.

Combined breathing at the stage of latent contractions helps the woman in labor relax as much as possible in the intervals between contractions, this helps relieve stress, fear, and tension. From the very beginning of labor, the baby begins to receive a sufficient amount of oxygen from the placental blood.

As uterine contractions intensify, there will be a need to breathe deeper in economy mode. To control the correct time proportions of inhalation and exhalation, a woman needs to mentally count to herself to three when inhaling air and to five when exhaling it. You can breathe this way until the moment when it stops bringing significant relief.

Active contractions, which will find a woman in the maternity hospital if she arrived on time, will require a slightly different approach to breathing. At this stage, contractions repeat once every 3-4 minutes, they last 45-50 seconds. The uterus begins to open more intensely than before. The woman will need to know acceptable comfortable positions to ease contractions. It is important to continue breathing in oxygen saving mode.

During contractions, a combination of breathing techniques with pronouncing the vowels “i” and “u” while exhaling is considered quite effective. If childbirth takes place with a partner, breathing is combined with partner poses for two and massage of the sacral area. In addition, the partner, who was familiarized with the rules of breathing in advance, will be able to additionally control that the woman in labor performs the exercises in a timely and rhythmic manner.

During transitional contractions, which lead to maximum dilation of the cervix, the breathing technique between contractions remains economical, and during contractions you can breathe briefly, abruptly, with your mouth.

An additional effect of following the techniques during labor lies in the fact that the mother in labor focuses her attention not on the onset of the next muscle spasm, not on pain, but directly on the breathing exercises. The behavior of the woman in labor becomes calmer.

Attempts

Pushing is an important and responsible period of childbirth. The baby begins to enter the reproductive tract through the open cervix. A woman’s hectic behavior during this period and ignoring the obstetrician’s demands can lead to spontaneous attempts and ultimately to injury to the head, brain, cervical spine the baby's spine, to ruptures of the cervix, genital tract, perineum.

We described straining breathing above. In the delivery room, where this and the subsequent stage of childbirth will take place, from the moment the pushing period begins, obstetricians and a doctor will constantly be with the woman. As soon as the obstetrician gives the command to push, the woman will need to take a deep chest breath, hold her breath and “push” the baby out with her rounded diaphragm.

You cannot exhale sharply, since releasing the entire volume of air will make the pushing itself ineffective - the baby will only advance a little or will remain in place. You need to exhale extremely smoothly.

Movies often show women in labor who start screaming while pushing. Most women accept this image as true and unconsciously repeat this pattern of behavior. We especially inform them: you cannot scream while pushing. This leads to a rapid loss of oxygen reserves and strength. In addition, screaming is not combined with proper breathing. And if you choose one thing, then breathing is in all respects more useful and necessary. Screaming increases the likelihood of fetal hypoxia, and the baby already has a hard time in the narrow birth canal.

Screaming increases the likelihood of ruptures, the lower segment of the female reproductive organ tenses with forced exhalation and screaming, while top part The uterus (its bottom) at this moment can be in any stage of contraction.

The screaming woman is unable to understand much of what the doctors are telling her. She interferes with her screams not only in the work of the medical staff, but also in the birth of her own child.

Birth of the placenta

The final stage of labor will be the birth of the placenta. The afterbirth is usually born within half an hour to an hour. At the same time, contractions resume, but they are no longer as painful. The woman in labor only needs to push a couple of times when the placenta, which has separated from the walls of the uterus, begins to leave the cavity of the reproductive organ. This is also done at the command of the obstetrician. In this case, forced breathing is used.

After birth " children's place“A woman can begin to breathe arbitrarily, in a way that is convenient for her. Usually, in the subsequent period of labor, experts recommend returning to the calm and measured breathing that the woman used throughout the latent initial period of contractions.

The course is large and interesting. It is quite difficult to talk about it in a nutshell. The specialist’s basic advice for women in labor is in many ways reminiscent of the Frenchman Lamaze’s method, with the difference that the Russian women’s doctor suggested converting each breathing exercise into a count, so that it would be more comfortable for the woman herself and there would be fewer mistakes.

The breathing pattern during labor according to Kobasa briefly looks like this.
Start of labor– breathe evenly, evenly, rhythmically, with a long inhalation and a smooth long exhalation. As you inhale, mentally count to four, and as you exhale, too.
During active contractions– every fight must be “met” fully armed. As soon as the uterine tension begins to “gird”, the woman takes a slow breath through her nose and slowly and slowly counts to four to herself. The exit is slowed down and carried out in energy-saving mode - we no longer count to four, but to six. At the peak of the contraction, we breathe frequently, fractionally, through our mouths. If your tongue dries out, you need to touch the tip of your tongue to the roof of your mouth and tickle it lightly - more saliva will be produced and the dry mouth will immediately subside.
Pushing period– take a deep breath through the mouth, hold the air and push, directed straight down. If a woman begins to push “on horseback,” hemorrhages in the head, facial skin, and eyes are possible. After the birth of the head, Alexander Kobasa does not recommend using forced breathing.

Breathing is, without exaggeration, vital important process occurring in living organisms. As a result of this process, the cells of the body are saturated with oxygen, which catalyzes all organic chemical reactions. Modern physiologists believe that most people on Earth breathe incorrectly, i.e. their body, of course, receives oxygen from atmospheric air, which ensures its vital activity. However, many chemical reactions human body remain unrealized, which is harmful to health, depletes the body and significantly shortens life.

Breathing is a physiological process that provides the human body with oxygen necessary for the functioning of all organs and tissues. The deeper the breath, the more oxygen enters the body and the faster the cells are saturated with it. The second integral part of breathing is exhalation, during which the body is freed from carbon dioxide, which is a by-product of saturating cells with oxygen. The more effective the exhalation, the more carbon dioxide that poisons the body will leave it.

Breathing is an innate, unconditioned reflex inherent in all living organisms, i.e., specifically uncontrolled by the brain. When increasing physical activity or stressful situations When the concentration of carbon dioxide in the blood increases, breathing becomes rapid. Thus, the body signals us about a catastrophic lack of oxygen.

Oxygen deficiency “extinguishes” the metabolic processes of the human body, so proper breathing should be a relevant topic for every person.

How to breathe correctly: video

Types of breathing

There is the following classification of types of breathing:

Abdominal or diaphragmatic breathing, in which the lower part of the lungs fills. This breathing is carried out using the large muscle of the diaphragm, which separates the thoracic and abdominal sections of the human body. When you inhale, the diaphragm contracts and lowers closer to the peritoneum, so the abdomen “inflates.” When you exhale, the muscle relaxes, rises up to the sternum, and the stomach retracts and pushes air out of the body.
Chest or costal breathing during inhalation is based on contraction pectoral muscles accompanied by expansion of the chest. At the same time, the bronchi and bronchioles increase their diameter and are maximally ready to receive air entering the lungs. When you exhale, on the contrary, the bronchi and chest narrow, which allows them to “squeeze” the air out of them. This type of breathing is considered the most common among people and not the most correct!
Clavicular breathing is carried out due to the fact that when you inhale, the collarbones rise, and when you exhale, they lower. As a result, only the upper parts of the lungs, which have a small volume, work.

What is correct breathing?

Correct breathing is called physiologically correct breathing with the diaphragm, which automatically involves the chest, i.e. our lungs are filled with oxygen as much as possible. As a result of such breathing, the diaphragm simultaneously massages the pancreas, kidneys, liver, spleen, and heart sac.

It is important to know that correct abdominal breathing, in principle, cannot be achieved by inhaling air through the mouth, because mouth breathing worsens the body's gas exchange. Breathing through the nose allows you to activate the diaphragm, providing maximum oxygen to the body cells. In addition, nasal breathing provides clean air, which cleanses the nose of dust, viruses and bacteria.

So, correct and healthy breathing is breathing with the stomach, in which air enters the body through the nose. And that's exactly how most people don't have to breathe! However, proper breathing can and should be learned. This is especially important for those who have begun intensive work on their body by choosing healthy image life, full of physical activity.

Proper breathing during exercise

During intensive training, accelerated metabolic processes are especially important, which simply cannot occur if there is a lack of oxygen. The option in which a person breathes rapidly through his mouth, like a fish thrown ashore, is also incorrect because this increases the load on the heart and blood vessels, the body experiences stress, and a lack of oxygen is still recorded in the blood. For an athlete in the gym lifting weights, such breathing is completely dangerous. It is because of this that many novice athletes, instead of pleasant fatigue after training, feel a complete loss of strength and weakness.

It is important for people actively involved in sports to master correct diaphragmatic nasal breathing and use it not only in the gym, but also in everyday life.

How to learn to breathe correctly?

To learn to breathe correctly you need:

perform exercises on diaphragmatic and chest breathing techniques at least 2 times a day for about 5 minutes;
Beginners are advised to perform breathing exercises while lying down; later they can do regular workouts standing or sitting;
classes aimed at breathing techniques should be carried out on fresh air or in a well-ventilated area;
breathing exercises begin with a vigorous exhalation, the next inhalations and exhalations during breathing exercises should be smooth and slow;
control the duration of inhalation and exhalation - exhalation should be twice as long as inhalation;
be sure to monitor your breathing rhythm in everyday life and during training in the gym;
Constantly increase the interval between breaths, thereby ensuring their maximum depth.

How to learn to breathe correctly with your stomach?

Sequencing effective methodology mastering diaphragmatic breathing for beginners is as follows:

lie on your back with your knees bent;
place your hands on your stomach;
exhale vigorously, and then inhale slowly, during which you need to focus on the navel, control the rise of the abdomen and not involve the chest;
exhale smoothly, accompanied by drawing in the abdomen;
repeat the exercise 6-7 times.

How to learn to breathe correctly with your chest?

You need to lie in the same starting position as for training diaphragmatic breathing, only your hands should be placed on your chest. Slow inhalation and exhalation are performed, concentrating on the ribs. It is enough to repeat the exercise 6-7 times.

It is important not to limit yourself to breathing techniques only as some exercises; you need to bring the skill of proper breathing to automaticity, controlling your inhalations and exhalations throughout the day. Usually, after 1–3 months, any person can breathe extremely deeply, perfectly saturating the body with oxygen. Long-term training using more complex methods allows you to master all three types of breathing in one “inhale-exhale” cycle. This is how yogis and professional divers breathe. There are no limits to human capabilities, the main thing is the desire to be healthy!

Proper and deep breathing when playing sports is one of the key elements of effective physical training. At the same time, sufficient oxygen supply to the body is important not only when running a marathon or during, but also when performing any strength exercises.

However, despite the fact that the technique of proper breathing is quite simple and intuitive, most people breathe excessively shallowly and unevenly during training. It must be remembered that correct and healthy breathing is, first of all, breathing through the nose and using the diaphragm.

What is diaphragmatic breathing?

Remember how small children breathe - when they inhale, the upper part of their tummy slowly rises, falling when they exhale, while the chest practically does not move. This type of breathing through the nose is called “diaphragm” and is the healthiest and most natural for humans.

In turn, the diaphragm is an internal muscle that separates the chest and abdominal cavities and serves to expand the lungs. In fact, the ability to engage the diaphragm in the breathing process distinguishes shallow chest breathing from deep and full abdominal breathing.

Why is it harmful to breathe through your mouth?

Runners know that breathing through your mouth during a workout significantly impairs your performance. The person seems to be taking deep breaths, but he immediately exhales the air. This negatively affects the percentage of oxygen absorption (1) and makes you breathe even faster, completely breaking the rhythm.

When actively breathing through the mouth, the muscles of the diaphragm seem to pinch and limit the lungs, since they move back and forth, and not up and down, as with deep breathing through the nose. Among other things, in the case of the habit of inhaling air through the mouth - a direct road to sore throat and colds (2).

Breathing during strength training

The main rules of breathing when strength training- you should breathe through your nose, and the weight should be squeezed out as you exhale. For example, when you need to lower yourself down while inhaling, while exhaling, pushing off the floor. When going up, exhale, inhale when going down.

The breathing itself, as already mentioned, should be carried out using the diaphragm - this will activate the internal muscles of the core and abs, creating natural support and protecting the spine from injury. Exhalation should be easy and natural, without strained screams and moans.

Short inhalations and long exhalations

Proper breathing during sports is approximately 7-8 cycles of slow inhalations and exhalations per minute. First, take a deep breath through the nose for 2-3 seconds, followed by a calm exhalation for 3-4 seconds (again, through the nose) and a final pause for 2-3 seconds.

Mouth breathing typically involves 10 to 20 cycles of short inhalations and exhalations per minute because the body is chronically starved of oxygen (3). We also note that the habit of holding your breath while doing exercises is especially dangerous, since it increases blood pressure.

How to learn to keep your back straight and level? Best exercises For .

How to learn to breathe correctly?

Take the most comfortable position for you - sitting, standing or lying down. Put left hand on the chest, the right - on the stomach. Relax and try to breathe normally. Spend a few minutes learning exactly how you breathe. Notice whether your stomach or chest moves as you breathe.

If your stomach hardly moves, lightly massage it with your palms in the navel area, while trying to breathe so that the air allows the abdominal muscles to “open up”. At the same time, make sure that your breathing is long, deep and carried out exclusively through the nose and not through the mouth.

Consequences of improper breathing

The habit of inhaling and exhaling air through the mouth not only impairs the body's oxygen supply, but also leads to weakening of the muscles of the diaphragm and those associated with it. Ultimately, this begins to negatively affect your posture, contributing to the development of hourglass syndrome.

The lower ribs and pelvis contract, minimizing the arch in the lower back and causing the center of the abdomen to “sink” inward. This is especially pronounced in those who lead a sedentary and sedentary lifestyle - which is why it is important for such people to practice yoga to improve their breathing technique.

***

Correct breathing is even, slow and deep breathing through the nose. When performing strength exercises, this is especially important, since only such breathing will activate the internal muscles of the core and create support for the spine.

Scientific sources:

Breathe right!,
How to Breathe Properly,
How you can breathe your way to good health,

With any physical activity, a lot depends on breathing. And it doesn’t matter what exactly you chose: classes in gym, crossfit or swimming. Today we will talk about how to breathe properly when running.

What and how we breathe

The human body, like the organisms of higher vertebrates, is equipped with a perfect respiratory apparatus associated with circulatory system. This connection is necessary for extracting oxygen from the air, fixing it on hemoglobin in the blood and transporting it throughout the body, to every cell.

The amount of oxygen entering the lungs will depend on the quality of breathing and air external environment. The quality of breathing is the depth of inspiration and frequency.

For more efficient oxygen consumption, breathing must be rhythmic. Chaotic breathing does not allow you to saturate the body with oxygen in the required amount. There will be either an excess or a deficiency. A deficiency is undesirable and dangerous for a person. And too much can make your head spin.

The quality of the air around us is its purity. You all know or have heard what photosynthesis is. Green plants absorb the carbon dioxide that we exhale. And they release oxygen, which we already absorb. Accordingly, the more plants in your environment and the fewer cars, the better. It’s not for nothing that everyone wants to go to the park to train, and not run along the side of the highway.

Breathing rules when playing sports

The following seven rules give an idea of how to and how not to breathe during physical activity.

Rule 1: Breathe clean air

The first rule has already been announced - breathe where there is a lot of oxygen. These are forests, parks, and nature reserves.

During physical activity, the body's demand for oxygen increases. And oxygen is absorbed along with the air. It turns out that if there are a lot of harmful impurities in the air, we will also inhale them? Yes, unfortunately this is true. Therefore, it is not recommended to run near roadways, in industrial areas, or in dusty areas. Otherwise, all the particles and dirt will end up in our lungs.

Rule 2: Adjust your breathing depth

To understand how to breathe correctly while running, what technique should be used when running, you need to decide on the depth of breathing.

You can breathe shallowly - such breathing is characteristic of a state of rest and sleep. The inhalation is fast and weak, the exhalation is sharp and imperceptible. Periodically (every 5-6 minutes) the body takes a deep breath, as it needs more air.

Even when walking, such breathing will be ineffective. Therefore, your breaths will become a little deeper and faster.

Proper breathing while running can combine medium-depth breaths with alternating deep breaths. For example, 10 medium breaths, 1 deep. And this is only relevant when you lack air. Medium deep breaths are usually sufficient.

By learning to regulate and stabilize the depth of your breathing, you will open up new horizons for yourself.

You cannot take every breath very deeply while running - a temporary excess of oxygen can cause dizziness.

So, rule 2 when running and during any physical activity - adjust the depth of breathing depending on the situation, but do not breathe deeply in a row! It is optimal to take medium deep breaths.

Rule 3: It’s your turn to inhale and exhale

By doing physical exercise, inhalation is done with less effort, and exhalation is done with greater effort, inhale while relaxing the muscles, and exhale during their contraction.

In running, this rule is not entirely appropriate, since in in this case no matter when to inhale and when to exhale, rule 4 is important.

Rule 4: Rhythm and Frequency

The sacred point in running is rhythm. If you lose your rhythm, your breathing becomes chaotic, you choke and cannot continue at the same pace. In this case, it will be difficult for the body, there will be a lack of air, shortness of breath.

To avoid suffocation, you need to breathe evenly and rhythmically. For example, let's say you started jogging. Immediately, on the first step, distribute your inhalation and exhalation into steps. The number of steps in each stage will depend on the length of your legs and.

The only rule is that the number of steps on inhalation and exhalation should be equal. Classic technique is to take 3 steps per inhale and 3 steps per exhale. The running speed is 8–11 kilometers per hour. When running slower, you can stretch your inhalation and exhalation into 4 steps.

When accelerating, you can slightly increase the depth of breathing and reduce the duration to 2 steps. But it is still better not to increase the breathing frequency, but to vary the amount of incoming air due to the depth. It is not recommended to breathe every step.

The longer the run you have to run, the more measured your breathing should be. For example, when running 3 km you should breathe less intensely than when running 1 km. When running long distances, it is important to calculate your strength.

Rule 5: inhalation and exhalation are done differently!

Have you noticed that breathing through your mouth does not bring the desired satisfaction? The fact is that through your mouth you swallow some of the air into your stomach. And through the nose, all the air enters strictly into the lungs. This is the whole secret. That is, you need to inhale through your nose.

This is useful not only from the point of view of the passage of air, but also from the point of view of the prevention of sore throat and other colds in the cold season. Through the nose, the air warms up a little before it enters the throat and lungs.

But you need to exhale through your mouth. This way you will expel waste air from your body faster.

So, the rule is this: inhale through the nose, exhale through the mouth.

Rule 6: in case you start to choke

It happens that after a sharp acceleration, breathing begins to become difficult, and a person suffocates while running. What to do in these cases? Rule number 6 will help you: take 3-4 deep breaths, then return to your previous breathing rhythm.

This rule applies to those cases when you cannot slow down and restore your heartbeat and breathing. This only happens under two circumstances: you are at a competition and you are running away from someone. In the first case, you can give in - only the result is at stake. But in the second, your life may be at stake. And the run may be the last.

If you are just training, slow down and restore your breathing and pulse.

Rule 7: Don't hold your breath!

Breathing problems appear after short-term delays. It is a fact. Sometimes you say something or for some other reason you hold your breath. Then you feel that there is not enough air. So, this cannot be done.

Breathing technique when running does not imply:

Drink. Swallowing while running will throw you off your rhythm. It is better to drink water while walking or slowing down a little (when you can quickly and easily adjust the rhythm).
Long conversations. It's better to talk after a run.
Chaotic inhalations and exhalations.