When people think about ways to improve their stamina and achieve greater intensity in their workouts it usually ends with the sentiment that it will come in time as you continue to workout. While this is not untrue it is not the only way to improve over time.
Breathing training is something that many athletes engage in, especially runners as they learn to control their breath and make it so they are expelling less oxygen and taking in less carbon dioxide. Oftentimes when we begin to get tired while working out our initial instinct is to begin breathing heavily through our mouth. This actually makes us feel tired quicker and like we do not have oxygen to keep going. Also sometimes this may cause us pain in our ribs and cramps.
Simple breathing exercises help you to pace your breathing and make it second nature so you stop mouth breathing as much and your breath becomes more even and less erratic. You can begin simply by going for a light walk. While on the walk begin by breathing in for 7 seconds. Then hold it for 7-10 seconds and afterwards exhale slowly for 7 seconds. Keep repeating this process and eventually incorporate this same rhythm into higher intensity exercise.
Written by GUADS intern Rob
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