Breathing

[Baraboobiker]

I'm currently reading a lot about the benefits of nose breathing, for general health and athletic performance. I find nose breathing to be difficult when exercising, and usually (always) return to my comfort zone (mouth breathing). Just wondering what you folks do on the rower, or bike, for breathing.

[Carl Watts]

Absolutely no chance of nose breathing here with any decent level of intensity. Don't think my nostril airways are great however, they are not symmetrical for starters and someone did say they could be operated on to fix that but I said no thanks. If I have learned anything from watching "Botched" its don't play with your face unless you have a serious condition that needs fixing. Rowing with your mouth open is not a serious medical condition.

[Dutch]

I have seen rowers at the Olympics on tv with those strips for snoring across their nose bridge to open them up a bit.

I find mouth breathing more than sufficient. I sometimes double breath on strokes this way when coming to the end of a piece and tiring. Its amazing how it pulls you upright and the time comes down. I have tried for whole pieces but only find I can keep it up for maybe 2k or so before my discipline breaks down.

[Dangerscouse]

It's a nice idea, but in reality, for me anyway, I get quite a stuffy nose fairly quickly so it makes it even harder.

I do try and nose breathe, but it's 50/50 at best, and during a sprint it's probably all mouth. When I'm not rowing, I do make sure to nose breathe.

[RayOfSunshine]

Absolutely no chance of nose breathing here with any decent level of intensity. Don't think my nostril airways are great however, they are not symmetrical for starters and someone did say they could be operated on to fix that but I said no thanks. If I have learned anything from watching "Botched" its don't play with your face unless you have a serious condition that needs fixing. Rowing with your mouth open is not a serious medical condition.

100%!!!

[jamesg]

KIS, aka Occam's razor. Pull every stroke as if in a race and all body functions will have to follow.

[Citroen]

KIS, aka Occam's razor. Pull every stroke as if in a race and all body functions will have to follow.

Or in other words in then out one after the other from the moment the midwife slaps you on the arse until you take your ultimate breath.

[max_ratcliffe]

I find it pretty hard to do on the rower or skierg but that may just be the ego not letting me slow down to speed up again.

I've recently been using some (inferior, non c2) cardio equipment while recovering from a shoulder injury. Did 30' on a stair climber today, all breathing through the nose. No idea yet whether there are any fitness benefits, but the nose breathing itself certainly gets a bit easier with practice.

Fwiw, I was planning on 20' on the stationary bike, also nose-breathing, but lost concentration. Not sure what happened, but I expect I reverted to mouth breathing.

Patrick Mckeown appears to be the guru on this. I don't have the medical background to assess what he says critically, but his stuff is worth a look.

[Dangerscouse]

I find it pretty hard to do on the rower or skierg but that may just be the ego not letting me slow down to speed up again.

I've recently been using some (inferior, non c2) cardio equipment while recovering from a shoulder injury. Did 30' on a stair climber today, all breathing through the nose. No idea yet whether there are any fitness benefits, but the nose breathing itself certainly gets a bit easier with practice.

Fwiw, I was planning on 20' on the stationary bike, also nose-breathing, but lost concentration. Not sure what happened, but I expect I reverted to mouth breathing.

Patrick Mckeown appears to be the guru on this. I don't have the medical background to assess what he says critically, but his stuff is worth a look.

Nasal breathing definitely has benefits, but it's tough to break the habit of mouth breathing. I believe it more efficiently controls your vagus nerve and subsequently your CNS, but I'm also no expert, although there's no harm in trying it out

[ukaserex]

I have a deviated sceptum, thanks to my brother's fastball when I was a kid. When idle, I can and do breathe through my nose. But, when rowing, I'm breathing through my mouth. I see no way around it. Hasn't hurt me a bit, as far as I can tell.

[mjk]

I can only nose breathe while rowing at very low intensities (HR in the 120s-130s), even then its not true nose breathing, its more of an in through the nose out through the mouth type of breathing.

I've found that the best way to practice nose breathing while exerting yourself is to do it while walking. I try to practice nose breathing for a block at a time while walking my dog.

I don't know why, but I've found that since Covid started and I've been wearing a mask for 12 hrs at a time at work, that my mouth breathing has gotten worse while wearing a mask.

[Dangerscouse]

I can only nose breathe while rowing at very low intensities (HR in the 120s-130s), even then its not true nose breathing, its more of an in through the nose out through the mouth type of breathing.

I've found that the best way to practice nose breathing while exerting yourself is to do it while walking. I try to practice nose breathing for a block at a time while walking my dog.

I don't know why, but I've found that since Covid started and I've been wearing a mask for 12 hrs at a time at work, that my mouth breathing has gotten worse while wearing a mask.

I have found it's only natural when your sitting down, or walking slowly, and anymore than that there's a tendency to revert to predominantly mouth breathing.

Like so many autonomic habits it takes quite a lot of effort to change it, not least as it doesn't feel too comfortable to start with. Doing it slowly whilst walking at a fairly good pace is a great way of retraining your brain and instincts. I'm still struggling with it whilst rowing, but I do try and do it.

[electricstart]

I am trying in with nose out with mouth . Hard though use to do when I ran . When heart rate climbs you need as much o2 as you can get that's when mouth takes over. Low intensity no problem .

[mromero680]

The whole breathing thing is kind of trendy these days but I agree with several posts above, your body will know what to do on a hard effort so don't over think it.