Most people treat breathing during exercise as an afterthought.
You run, you breathe harder. You lift, you maybe grunt. That's about it.
But small, deliberate tweaks in how you breathe can:
- Eliminate annoying side stitches
- Improve endurance and pacing
- Help you stay calmer under intense effort
Let's break down a few practical tools.
The Right-Side "Side Stitch" Fix
That sharp, stabbing pain on your right side during running?
It's often not a "cramp" in the muscle like most people think. It's more likely:
- A referred sensation from the phrenic nerve and the area around the diaphragm and liver
- Triggered by inefficient or uncoordinated breathing during effort
One surprisingly effective fix: the physiological sigh while moving.
How to Use It While Running
When you feel that right-side stitch coming on:
- Keep jogging, but slightly reduce your pace
- Do 2–3 physiological sighs:
- Long inhale through the nose
- Second, shorter inhale through the nose
- Long exhale through the mouth
This does two things:
- Alters the firing pattern of the phrenic nerve
- Resets diaphragmatic activity and local tension
Often, the stitch eases or disappears within a few breaths.
If it doesn't:
- Slow down further for a minute
- Do another 1–2 sighs
- Resume normal rhythmic breathing once pain subsides
Left-Side Stitches: A Different Story
If the pain is on your left side, it's more often related to:
- Gas or fluid in the stomach
- Gut jostling against the diaphragm
Here, helpful tools include:
- Adjusting pre-run food and fluid timing
- Slowing down and letting breathing settle
- Keeping breaths smoother and more rhythmic (not panicky or irregular)
Physiological sighs may still help, but the underlying cause is often different.
Breathing for Endurance: Nasal as Long as Possible
For low to moderate intensities (zones 1–2-ish):
Aim to breathe through your nose as much as possible
Benefits:
- Encourages diaphragmatic breathing
- Helps maintain better CO2 balance
- Can keep your effort more aerobic, delaying early fatigue
Once intensity climbs:
- It's completely fine (and necessary) to use mouth breathing
- You're trading efficiency for maximum airflow
A useful rule:
Nasal breathing by default → switch to mouth breathing as a tool when intensity requires it.
Rhythm: Syncing Breath and Movement
Many runners and lifters perform better with a deliberate inhale/exhale rhythm.
For Running
Try:
- Inhale for 3–4 steps
- Exhale for 3–4 steps
Adjust as needed:
- Longer exhales can help calm you if you feel panicky
- Shorter inhales/longer exhales can help if heart rate is spiking
For Lifting
On many big lifts:
- Inhale during the eccentric (lowering) phase
- Exhale during the concentric (effort) phase
Example (squat):
- Inhale deeply at the top
- Hold or slightly exhale as you descend
- Exhale more forcefully as you drive up
Advanced techniques like the Valsalva maneuver have their place but come with pressure trade-offs—best learned under coaching.
CO2 Tolerance and Performance
Your ability to tolerate rising CO2 is crucial for endurance:
- Low CO2 tolerance → you feel like you're dying sooner
- High CO2 tolerance → you can stay composed deeper into effort
The same CO2 tolerance training discussed earlier (like box breathing and slow exhale drills) can translate directly to:
- More relaxed breathing at a given pace
- Delayed onset of "air hunger"
- Less panic when intensity spikes
A Simple Pre-Workout Breathing Primer
Before you run, cycle, or lift:
Sit or stand tall for 2–3 minutes
- Do 5–10 slow nasal breaths:
- Inhale 4 seconds
- Exhale 6 seconds
- Finish with 1–2 physiological sighs
This:
- Calms pre-workout nerves
- Promotes better diaphragmatic engagement
- Puts you in a more composed, responsive state at the starting line
When to Push vs. When to Back Off
Breath is also a feedback signal:
If breathing becomes chaotic, gaspy, and shallow:
- You may be outpacing your current capacity
- Consider easing off slightly, regaining rhythm, then building back
If breathing feels:
- Strong
- Rhythmic
- Under your control
you're likely operating at a sustainable or intentionally challenging level.
Summary: Your Athletic Breathing Toolkit
- Right-side stitch: Use 2–3 physiological sighs while slowing slightly
- Endurance: Nasal breathing by default at low/moderate intensity
- Panic or heart rate spikes: Emphasize longer exhales
- CO2 tolerance: Train outside of workouts with slow exhale and box breathing
- Pre-workout: 2–3 minutes of slow nasal breathing + 1–2 physiological sighs
Breathing is the one system that touches everything—energy, mind, muscles—and that you can control moment by moment. Athletes who learn to use it, not just endure it, gain a quiet but powerful edge.
About the Author: John Doe writes about the intersection of physiology and performance, with a focus on simple breathing strategies that everyday athletes can actually use.
