Nose Breathing - Cardio Made Easy

Thinking back, as I was growing up, there was nothing I hated more than running (except maybe the dentist. okay, I definitely hated going to the dentist more, but it was close!). Having a nickname like “Chunk”, you can imagine I didn’t really have the body-type for running. I managed to be “sick” every year on the day our P.E. Class was doing the 1 mile run test. Every year, that is, except one. Finally during my senior year they got me. I couldn’t feign illness, as the teacher was also my coach on the tennis team, and we had a match later that day. I couldn’t be sick and play the match. How did it go? Let’s just say it sticks out in my mind as one of the most painful things I had to endure. Wow… I really hated running!

For as many years as that was the case, it is amazing how something as simple as “nose breathing” can change all that in an instant. I challenge you to take the following leap of faith, or test it with your heart rate monitor to prove what I tell you is true. Either way, your running is going to be a lot more fun from now on! Next time you go out for a run, go as slow as you have to in order to breathe in and out through your nose. It may start out being just a fast walk, but stick with it and trust me! In just a few weeks, you will be able to go further and faster, all while feeling less strain than you are now.

I could go on and on about why this works, but the fact is that we humans are pretty much the only animals that can eat and breathe through the same opening. Imagine a thoroughbred race horse. As big as they are, as much as they weigh and as fast as they go, they are able to get all of the oxygen they need through their nostrils. It’s the truth. Now go out and try it.


Here is the test: Go out with your heart rate monitor and run a loop around your neighborhood, or at a local school track. Keep record of the time it took you, where you went, and what your average and maximum heart rates were. Don’t worry about your breathing. Just run as you have been running, and do whatever comes naturally as far as breathing goes.

Now for the next two weeks, go as slow as it takes to breath in and out through your nose for all, or as much of, your run as possible. You will have to slow down before you get faster, so this may not be something you want to try right before a race. If you are new to running, it won’t be any problem at all to get used to this, and for the first time your exercise won’t feel like torture because you’re breathing will be much more relaxed and controlled.

After two weeks, use your heart rate monitor again. Go out and run the same loop that you started with, however this time you are only going to breathe using your nose.

For nearly everyone, the results will be one of the following:

1) The amount of time it took to run the loop was the same, but the average heart rate went down. (It took less intensity to achieve the same speed) or

2) The average heart rate stayed the same, but the run time was faster. (At the same intensity level, you are now able to put out more power, resulting in an increase in your speed.)

Let's Get Started: Goal Setting

One of the most important things to remember as you are setting your goals is to make them challenging, realistic, and specific. You’ll want to have a target date for the completion of your goal. Again… you need to be realistic! Don’t set out to run your first marathon on just two weeks of training, especially if you haven’t run a step since you suffered through the one mile-run test back in high school.

Setting some periodic, short-term goals will help keep you on the path to the successful completion of your long-term goals. These short-term goals will not only offer you increased opportunities for success, but they will also serve as a measuring stick to see how you are progressing towards your goal. These “stepping-stones” also give you a chance to modify your training program as you and/or your trainer see fit.

Finally, when setting my goals, I find it beneficial to my overall well-being if I choose to focus on outcomes that are mainly within my control. Rather than focusing on “winning”, (an outcome which is very much in the hands of others) I suggest you put your focus on achieving a personal best. I believe it is more important to consider yourself a winner for doing the best that you can do (and maybe learning something new or setting a personal best) rather than determining the level of your success and personal satisfaction by how you compared with everyone else.

After you’ve set your goals, go out and tell everyone that you know what you are planning on doing. It may seem a little silly, or possibly even embarrassing if by chance you weren’t able to accomplish your goal. The truth is, telling people is just another way of truly committing yourself. Once you start telling people your plan, it’s a lot harder to just give up when things get difficult. And you never know, you may inspire somebody else to believe in themselves and give something new a try!