Breathing Correctly During Your Cardio Workout

Are you feeling a bit nauseated after your cardio workout?  Is your throat sore afterward?  Do you feel stuffed up or seem to develop other respiratory problems?  Believe it or not, your problems may be stemming from the way you breathe during your workout.

If you are getting a good cardio workout, but you are not using the proper breathing technique, you may start to huff and puff in a way that is not providing your body with the best oxygen flow.  Not only can this lead to poor oxygen circulation, it can also cause your throat to get tried out, which can lead to feelings of nausea or make it feel as if breathing is more difficult than usual following your workout.

Most experts agree that the best breathing patter is to breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth.  By breathing in through your nose, you help prevent the drying out of your throat while also getting your body in a good breathing pattern. 

When you first start to work out, breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth may feel uncomfortable, particularly if this is not the way you naturally breathe. When breathing in through your nose, for example, you may not feel as if you are getting enough air intake.  Nonetheless, you should push yourself to stick with this breathing pattern, particularly if you are experiencing feelings of nausea or other problems following your regular workout.

In addition to concentrating on breathing in through your nose and out through mouth, you should also try to create a breathing rhythm.  For many people, a 2-count rhythm works best.   With this rhythm, you breath in through your nose for two counts and then out through your mouth for two counts.  You may need to play around with the count and vary the rhythm, however, to find a count that is comfortable for you.  Once you have established a good rhythm to fit with your pace, you should be able to get the oxygen flow you need and you will feel good after your workout is over rather than feeling ill.