How to Breathe While Running: Simple Tips for Beginners

To breathe well while running, slow down to a pace where you can talk, breathe through both your nose and mouth, let your belly (not just your chest) expand on each breath, and settle into a relaxed rhythm that matches your steps. Most beginners who feel out of breath don't have a breathing problem, they have a pace problem. Run easier, and breathing usually sorts itself out. The tips and drills below help you get there faster.

A quick health note first: if you have asthma or another lung or heart condition, talk to your doctor about exercise. And if you ever experience chest pain, dizziness, unusual breathlessness or wheezing while running, stop and seek medical advice.

Why running makes you breathless

When you run, your muscles need more oxygen and produce more carbon dioxide. Your body responds by breathing faster and deeper. That's normal and healthy. Feeling breathless becomes a problem only when you push harder than your current fitness can support, which leads to quick, shallow, panicky breathing and makes you want to stop.

Common reasons beginners feel out of breath:

• Running too fast for their current fitness, often without realising it.
• Not warming up, so the first minutes feel like a shock.
• Tense upper body: raised shoulders and a tight chest make breathing shallow.
• Shallow chest breathing instead of using the diaphragm.
• Starting out too fast in races or group runs.

The good news: all of these can be fixed with practice.

Step 1: Slow down (seriously)

The single most effective breathing tip is to run slower. Use the talk test: if you can speak in full sentences, your breathing is under control. If you can only manage a word or two, you're working hard, which is fine for short intervals but not for easy runs.

If slowing down still leaves you breathless, add walk breaks. The run walk method is perfect for this: short running intervals with brisk walking in between let your breathing recover before it spirals.

If you use a heart rate monitor, our heart rate zone calculator gives you estimated zones. Keeping easy runs in a lower zone (see heart rate zones explained) is a reliable way to keep breathing calm. It's an estimate, so always check it against how you feel.

Step 2: Breathe through your nose and mouth

You'll find advice online insisting on nose-only breathing. For most runners, that only works at very easy efforts. As you speed up, your body wants more air than your nose alone can deliver. Breathing through both nose and mouth is natural and perfectly fine.

A practical approach:

• Very easy jogging or warm-up: try nose breathing if it feels comfortable. It can help you keep the pace gentle.
• Easy to moderate running: breathe through nose and mouth together.
• Hard efforts: mouth breathing is normal. Focus on breathing out fully.

Step 3: Learn belly breathing

Belly breathing (diaphragmatic breathing) means letting your belly expand as you breathe in, instead of only lifting your chest and shoulders. It tends to feel calmer and fuller.

How to practise it (5 minutes, no running needed)

1. Lie on your back with knees bent. Place one hand on your chest and one on your belly.
2. Breathe in slowly through your nose. Let the hand on your belly rise while the hand on your chest stays fairly still.
3. Breathe out slowly through your mouth, letting your belly fall.
4. Do 10 slow breaths. Repeat once or twice a day for a week.
5. Next, try it sitting, then standing, then while walking.

Once it feels natural, try a few belly breaths during the first minutes of your run, and whenever you notice your breathing getting shallow.

Step 4: Find a rhythm that matches your steps

Rhythmic breathing means linking your breaths to your steps. Many runners find it calming because it gives the mind something steady to focus on. Count steps while breathing in and out:

Pattern	How it works	When to use it
4:4	4 steps in, 4 steps out	Very easy running, warm-ups
3:3	3 steps in, 3 steps out	Easy runs
3:2	3 steps in, 2 steps out	Easy to moderate runs, alternates which foot you exhale on
2:2	2 steps in, 2 steps out	Moderate to harder efforts
2:1	2 steps in, 1 step out	Hard efforts and finishing kicks

There's no single "correct" pattern. Some runners like the uneven 3:2 rhythm because each exhale lands on a different foot. Others never count and do just fine. Try a pattern for a few runs, keep what helps and drop what doesn't.

Step 5: Relax your upper body

Tension makes breathing shallow. Run a quick body scan every few minutes:

• Shoulders: down and relaxed, not hunched towards your ears.
• Jaw: loose. A clenched jaw often means a tense neck.
• Hands: relaxed, as if holding something delicate.
• Chest: open, looking ahead rather than down at your feet.
• Arms: swinging forward and back, not across your body.

Simple trick: every so often, take one deep breath in, then let it all go with a long exhale and a little shoulder drop. It resets your posture and your breathing.

Side stitches: what to do

A side stitch is a sharp pain just below the ribs, usually on one side. It's common in beginners and often linked to running too fast, eating or drinking a lot shortly before running, or shallow breathing. The exact causes aren't fully understood, but these tips help many runners:

During the run:

1. Slow down or walk.
2. Breathe in deeply, then breathe out slowly and fully, as if blowing out candles.
3. Press your fingers gently into the painful spot while breathing out.
4. Try switching your breathing rhythm so you exhale on the other foot.
5. Resume running gently once it fades.

To prevent them:

• Avoid large meals in the 3–4 hours before running and big gulps of water right before you start.
• Warm up properly with brisk walking.
• Start slowly and build up the pace.
• Practise belly breathing.

If you get a pain that doesn't fade with rest, or chest pain of any kind, stop and get medical advice.

Breathing in cold, hot or polluted air

• Cold air can feel harsh. A light scarf or buff over your mouth and nose warms the air a little. Warm up indoors first.
• Hot or humid days make everything feel harder. Slow down, run early or late, and drink enough.
• Pollen and pollution: if you have allergies or asthma, check local forecasts and talk to your doctor about managing symptoms around exercise.

A breathing-focused easy run (try this week)

1. Warm-up (5 min): brisk walk with relaxed belly breathing.
2. Easy jog (5 min): try nose breathing or a 4:4 rhythm. Pace should feel very easy.
3. Run-walk (15 min): run 2 minutes with a 3:3 rhythm, walk 1 minute with slow, full exhales. Repeat 5 times.
4. Steady (3 min): if you feel good, run a little faster with a 2:2 or 3:2 rhythm. Stay relaxed.
5. Cool-down (5 min): walk, letting breathing return to normal.

After the run, note how your breathing felt. Over a few weeks, easy runs should start to feel noticeably calmer.

Common breathing mistakes

Holding your breath

Some people unconsciously hold their breath when concentrating, especially on hills. Keep breathing out.

Forcing nose-only breathing at higher efforts

If you're straining, open your mouth. Your body knows what it needs.

Overthinking every breath

Patterns are tools, not rules. If counting stresses you out, just slow down and relax.

Ignoring pace

No breathing trick can make an all-out pace feel easy. Choosing the right pace matters most. Our article on a good running pace for beginners shows how to find yours.

The bottom line

Breathing while running gets easier as your fitness improves, and that happens through consistent, easy running. Slow down, relax your upper body, use belly breathing and a simple rhythm, and take walk breaks without guilt. For the full beginner roadmap, including weekly structure and warm-ups, read how to start running.