Research shows that there is a direct link between lung and leg fatigue. Diaphragm that does 80% of the work during respiration, if strengthened may improve the endurance activity like running and help reduce fatigue. Study also shows that harder the respiratory muscles had to work; the more the legs would struggle in a race. (Source: Running on Air: The Revolutionary Way to Run Better by Breathing Smarter, by Budd Coates, M.S., and Claire Kowalchik (Rodale, 2013).)
Let’s explore some of the breath work, which may add value to Running Efficiency. One of the most recommended is Ujjayi Pranayama.
Check the video to practice your Ujjayi at the breathing level,
Ujjayi Pranayama
Ujjayi breathing is extensively used during Ashtanga Vinyasa (a form of yoga), which combines yogic postures in a flow (building endurance). Ujjayi breathing is not only one of the most recommended breathing techniques for balancing your blood pressure but it also helps maximize oxygen intake supporting the engaged muscles and thereby strengthening the core muscles as well. Regular practice tones up the lungs and helps build internal body heat. The best part about Ujjayi breathing is that unlike other yogic breathing, it can be done while sitting, standing, moving and even walking.
Caution: Anyone with low blood pressure should first correct his or her condition.
Diaphragmatic Breathing
Before starting Ujjayi Breathing, it would be a good idea to practice simple diaphragmatic breathing, popularly known as “belly breathing” in Yoga. And this should be practiced initially in a comfortable sitting position and not during the run to make sure complete awareness and involvement with this process of breathing.
Method
Lie down on your back.
Place one palm on your abdomen and the other on the chest. Watch your normal breathing pattern for a few rounds.
Start breathing deeply and check which palm is going up higher with inhalation and falling down with exhalation.
If it is the palm on the chest, you are doing shallow breathing or chest breathing. If it is on the abdomen, then it is the diaphragmatic breathing, and this is the type of breathing which needs to be practiced on a regular basis. As you breathe, try to imagine that you are inhaling air into the abdomen and pelvic area. If this is done properly, the hand on the chest should not move, while the hand on the abdomen should rise with the inhalation and fall with the exhalation. With regular practice, the skill will eventually carry over to the running as well.
Stretching and Breathing
As a runner, you also know the importance of static stretching after your run to maintain optimal flexibility and prevent stiffness in the key muscles of running. So when we want a particular area to stretch a little beyond your limited capacity, you exhale deeply to release tension in that particular area and allow it to move a little farther. This slight movement may be as small as a fraction of an inch but can help in many ways.
Regular diaphragmatic breathing practice (say you are sitting in the car/watching TV, etc., place your palm on the abdomen and breathe deeply to check the deep movement of the abdomen) will gradually make it your second nature. Apart from thousands of other benefits involved with this kind of breathing, this pattern will gradually get synchronized with your running, making you a BETTER RUNNER.
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