How To Run With a Low Hearth-Rate

During easy-paced runs, many runners experience frustration when they notice their heart rates gradually creeping up, despite their efforts to maintain a gentle and slow pace.

This phenomenon poses a significant challenge for those following the Maffetone (MAF) method or engaging in any form of low heart rate endurance training.

If you've encountered this issue, rest assured that you're not alone…

The “Maffetone Method” or “MAF Method” - developed by Dr. Phil Maffetone - is heart-rate training designed to keep you within your aerobic threshold. You run your training miles under a certain heart rate which you calculate by subtracting your age from the number 180.

Typically, the advice given to runners facing an increase in heart rate during low-intensity runs is to stop and walk, allowing the heart rate to drop back into the desired aerobic training zone or below their MAF heart rate.

While this guidance holds merit, particularly on hilly terrain, it fails to address the crucial aspect of controlling heart rate while running.

Breathing Technique to Running With a Low Hearth-Rate

Today, I want to share a simple yet effective technique I've been using to manage my heart rate during runs. Rather than stopping and walking, I focus on my breathing - both the pattern and mechanics - to influence my heart rate.

Here's how it works:

• Assess pace and adjust: First and foremost, I ask myself if I might unintentionally be pushing too hard. If so, I consciously back off the pace slightly. It's essential to ensure you're running at an appropriate intensity while implementing the breathing technique.
• To control my heart rate, I shift my attention inward, focusing on slowing down and deepening my breaths. The goal is to take slower, deeper breaths that calm the body.
• The impact on heart rate: By adopting this breathing technique, I've noticed a significant drop in my heart rate, typically ranging from five to ten beats per minute. It's essential to understand the science behind why this works.

The Science Behind It

Breathing through the nose activates diaphragmatic breathing, which emphasizes deep breaths originating from the belly. This type of breathing triggers the parasympathetic system, leading to a drop in heart rate.

Try to low your heart rate in the next run!

To experience the benefits of this breathing technique, I encourage you to give it a go during your next run. Whether you're sitting, standing, or in motion, take a moment to perform the following steps:

1. Sit or stand up straight
2. Take a few deep breaths in through your mouth and pay attention to where the air goes
3. Now, close your mouth and breathe solely through your nose. Notice how breathing through your nose encourages diaphragmatic breathing, which allows for more efficient, effective, and deeper breaths. This triggers the parasympathetic system, facilitating a drop in heart rate!

Remember to implement this technique when you see your heart rate creeping up during an easy run.

Back off the pace slightly and focus on the six-to-ten breaths, inhaling through the nose and exhaling through the mouth.

You'll likely witness an immediate drop in heart rate, without the need to stop and walk.

By practicing this technique, you'll gain a better understanding of how to control your heart rate while running, rather than relying on periodic stops.

This skill is invaluable and contributes to improved pacing - a crucial aspect of any runner's journey!

Conclusion

If your heart rate rises during easy runs, try using a breathing technique to manage it. Slow and deepen your breaths through your nose to activate diaphragmatic breathing, which lowers your heart rate by engaging the parasympathetic system. This approach helps maintain your pace and improve endurance without needing to stop and walk.

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