Now that we understand the fundamental differences between deep belly (diaphragmatic) breathing and chest (thoracic) breathing, we can begin to work technique into the mix.<\/p>\n

First off, we need to consider that our work load is largely going to determine our breathing and pick our battles appropriately. \u00a0If we're in an all out anaerobic sprint, there's little you can do to relax and breathe properly. \u00a0If you're slogging up a long climb, you may be able to eke out a few extra watts or keep your heart rate a few BPM lower with good technique. \u00a0The same could hold true for taking pulls on the front of a paceline during a fast group ride; proper breathing will keep you out of the red and pulling longer.<\/p>\n

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In the case of cyclists (particularly people who are working on climbing technique or time trialling) it is often heard that “getting into a rhythm” is the best way to ride. \u00a0This not only applies to your pedaling cadence, but your breathing cadence as well. \u00a0For example, hink back to the times when you start a climb in control, but then things get a little steeper or the group gets faster and suddenly you find yourself raggedly gasping for breath. \u00a0Being in a breathing rhythm helps to keep the body under control and be able to manage the buildup of CO2 from those anaerobic efforts more efficiently.<\/p>\n

Trainer Time<\/h3>\n

A good primer to breathing control starts on your trainer at home (and since it's still cold outside you're likely to still be on it occasionally.) \u00a0After a good warmup, start a stopwatch for a 10 minute interval. \u00a0You'll want to be riding at time trial pace, which is the fastest you can sustain for an hour without blowing up. \u00a0 Settle into a cadence of about 90RPM (or whatever is comfortable) and try to time your inhalation and exhalation with the rise and fall of your pedals. \u00a0Inhale for two or three pedal revolutions (your right foot should go through two complete circles) and then exhale for two or three revolutions. \u00a0When inhaling, try to keep the neck, shoulders and upper body relaxed, breathing from the belly. \u00a0When exhaling, don't just let it sort of ooze out out of your mouth, push it out from the belly like you're blowing up a balloon. \u00a0Focus on maintaining that rhythm for a while.<\/p>\n

As you ride out the interval, keep an eye on your heart rate. \u00a0You should see it remain stable for most of the interval, without a lot of creep or gradual rise.<\/p>\n

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Take a 5 minute easy spinning break and start another 10 minute interval at time trial pace, again focusing on your breathing. \u00a0After the first 5 minutes, gradually increase your speed or output very slightly every minute until the end of the interval, again focusing on your breathing. \u00a0You'll be able to note that as you start to work extremely hard, your breathing will be difficult to control. \u00a0You'll also note that working to control it will help you keep that faster pace under control better.<\/p>\n

An additional way to keep tabs on your progress is to ride in front of a mirror or to videotape yourself during an interval. \u00a0You'll want to see your belly “drop” towards the ground each time you inhale: that will be a way to tell if your technique is good. \u00a0A great example of this is Lance Armstrong (above left) or Sylvain Chavanel (below right): they look like they had one too many brewskies and are packing a few extra pounds. \u00a0Really, that's just what diaphragmatic breathing looks like and is why it gets the nickname “belly breathing.”<\/p>\n