Seduced by our fantastic running events and now you have signed up for one of our charity runs in London, need to think up some lucrative fundraising ideas…..breathe!

Breathing problems are common among new members of the charity running community when training for their charity run. Your legs feel fine but after a short distance you’re struggling to take in the air and it can be incredibly frustrating when you have your mind set on smashing your run for charity.

We promise as you commence your training for your run for charity - It will get easier as you get fitter, but there are some things you can do to try and improve your breathing as a new charity runner.

We are about to share a secret to our charity runners – breathing exercises work! Simply performing an exercise that makes you focus on your breathing is so beneficial in the lead up to your charity run. That might sound like a strange instruction, but the simple act of concentrating on how you are breathing will enable to you improve it and be ready for your charity running event. Be mindful of taking slower, deeper breaths than
you have been previously.The deeper you inhale oxygen into your lungs, the more there will be to be transported into your bloodstream and carried to your muscles. Think about that process and how you are
helping it become more efficient with every well-measured breath.

Try this simple, four-minute exercise to improve your breathing:

1. Walk for one minute
Go for a one-minute walk. Even the busiest person can get this done in a hectic schedule. For that one minute as you’re walking, take big deep breaths in and pay attention to your posture
and your stride. You will notice that you’re taking a number of strides during the inhale and exhale phases, and this will begin to embed that breathing pattern.

2. Speed up
Speed that walk up making sure you stick to that same same deep, even breathing. Keep your focus to ensure your breaths don’t increase in pace as a result of your faster walking speed. All it takes is a little bit of concentration.

3. Gentle jog
Push the pace up to slow jog speed. Again, maintain that focus on using the same breathing pattern. As you jog, count the number of strides you’re taking between each breath.

4. Run!
Now, it’s time for a one-minute run. Focus on keeping the same breathing pattern you have been keeping since the walk. Take note of the number of strides you take for each inhale and exhale.If you do this a few times a week, we promise you’ll quickly find it easier to breathe when
you run, and those deep, long intakes of oxygen will feel like second nature! Inhale, exhale…..all the way to your charity run event day!