Can anyone shed some light on how I am suppose to be breathing? I seem to be out of breath within a few steps. I assume it's my technique. Not sure but I like to jog I just need to learn how to breathe.

I can't give you advice on breathing and running, but I know that on the elliptical, I do the following. I try to take deep breaths in and out. In through my nose, out through my mouth. If I have a hard time breathing, I slow down until I get my breathing under control, then speed up. I have asthma and this seems to work for me. HTH

I want to know as well. I just started doing couch to 5k and I'm horrible. I can cycle 25 miles without stopping, but I can barely jog 60 seconds and I'm jogging as slow as I can without falling over.

I used to run for football and tennis when I was younger. If you can't breathe you're just not in running shape.

It's also not worth running if you're heavy, especially if you're out of shape. You'll just end up hurting yourself and set back your efforts to get into shape.

Start with walking, power walking, and then add intervals once you can do an extended power/fast walk without getting out of breath. Intervals are basically alternating period of walking and jogging/running/sprinting.

Then you can phase into full running as you get in shape and drop the rest of the weight.

When you are jogging you need to breathe in/out through both your mouth and nose to get maximum air.

Find a pace. Breathe in for 2 steps, out for 2 steps. Or try in 3, out 3.

Breathe from your belly, not shallow chest breaths.

Also, if you're huffing and puffing, you are probably pushing too hard! Slow it down. Good luck.

When I was younger and trying to do a 5k my trainer would tell me to do breathe in 1....2...3... breathe out 1....2....3... so like 3 seconds in 3 out (or a little less if you can't do quite that much). It helped me a lot and if you are taking in deeper breaths it seems to decrease chance of side cramps, cause I always used to struggle with those. I have to breathe through my mouth too, I can't do the breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth.

I had to modify the couch to 5k program last time I did it because I was not up to moving up as quickly as the program does. I'd shave 5 sec off running here or there or add extra walking minutes and it would help me get through it. I would do extra weeks of the same thing instead of moving up because I wasn't ready. I don't think I ever ended up finishing it, but I did make quite a bit of progress. I'm looking forward to eventually trying it again.

I played varsity soccer through HS. We would not even touch a ball for the first month of practice, as it was run, run, jog, sprint, Indian run for 3 hours straight with some stretches sprinkled in.. With that being said I would breath in through my nose and out through my mouth at an even rate.

Thank you all!!!! I will keep you posted!

I use to jog in my younger/skinny days. I remember my breathing would become

rhythmic, three breaths in through the nose, and then one large exhale through the mouth....

My trainer told me to make sure you are breathing from your stomach not your chest. Run a bit, till your huffin. Put one hand on chest, one on tummy. Which ever is rising is what your running from. You want to learn to breath from your tummy. keep your mouth open while running you get more air. I breath in take 2 steps then exhale. You are supposed to work your way up to 3 or 4 steps but I don't want to become a pro just not die while running. I am on Week 5 day 2 of C25K. I'm starting to enjoy it. Every time I finish a day doing it completely I treat myself to some new tunes so I have some good music to run to.

I just finished week 1 of the C25K. I actually did day 3 a second time because last time I was too out of breath after the last run. I slowed down my jogging pace but picked up my walking pace. That helped quite a bit.

I just finished week 1 of the C25K. I actually did day 3 a second time because last time I was too out of breath after the last run. I slowed down my jogging pace but picked up my walking pace. That helped quite a bit.

Confession

I had been working out 6 hours a week when I started this, and I couldn't finish some of the days. I did week 1 and 2 twice. It was awful!!