Of the many strange new changes brought upon by COVID-19, I am forced to run with a mask. In Istanbul, where I live, there is a stiff penalty for not wearing a mask and an even stiffer social penalty for not adhering to the new societal norm.
I hate running with the mask because it restricts my breathing and it usually ends up as a chin strap. I assumed that mouth breathing is critical because it maximizes the amount of oxygen I have in my system.
Turns out I have been breathing all wrong.
I was listening to a podcast with author James Nestor where he was comparing nose breathing with mouth breathing. According to Nestor and some further googling, the effects of nose-breathing vs mouth breathing are stark.
- Sleep Apnea
- Increased stress and Anxiety
- Increased illness
- Bad breath
- Respiratory issues
- Neurological issues
- Slows down your breathing which will increase the amount of oxygen in your system but up to 20%
- Heats, humidifies and conditions the air before entering your lungs
- Filters out bacteria before air enters you lungs
- Reduction in stress and anxiety
The nose is a miraculous organ that prepares the air so that the body can maximize oxygen consumption as well as keep us in balance emotionally. Our nose is key to performance and balance. Its volume is actually larger than I thought - it’s the size of a small fist and extends above the eyes. The more you use it, the stronger it gets. If you don’t it will atrophy and will actually get harder to breath from your nose.
In short, deep breathing via the nose will help my running and intellectual performance. The challenge is that we breathe 25,000 times and I'm used to breathing from my mouth. How do I train myself to breath from the nose?
But now I have a daily cue to practice deep nose breathing. Putting on the mask is a constant reminder. Now during my run and bike rides I do “sets” of 10 “reps” where I breath deeply in and out from my nose.
Thank you Covid for reminding me to improve my breathing.