Want To Hike Better? You Need To Breathe Better

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As backpackers, we spend hours training for cardio only to find ourselves out of breath on the trail. There could be many reasons, such as not breathing. You probably aren’t breathing to optimize and maximize your gains. With practice, you’ll discover what efficient breathing can do for you. Start by breaking down the muscles you use to breathe.

respiratory muscles

• The diaphragm is the main respiratory muscle and sits like a partially open umbrella inside the base of the ribcage just below the lungs. This is the top of the “breathing canister”.
• The abdominal muscles are made up of the rectus abdominis (the six-pack muscles), the internal obliques, the external obliques, and the transversus abdominis. These make up the walls of the “breathing canister”.
• The pelvic floor makes up the bottom of the “breathing apparatus”.

When breathing passively, the diaphragm does most of the work, with a little help from the intercostal muscles. should shrink to There should be no “bubbles” that often occur with inefficient breathing.

For backpackers, the secondary muscles often take over and claim the leading role when going up and down steep hills. These are muscles that only assist breathing, such as the pectoralis minor, scalenes, SCM neck muscles, upper traps, intercostal muscles, and lumbar back muscles. Over-activation of these muscles can lead to pain and respiratory dysfunction, adversely affecting lung capacity and the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide.

why is this happening?

These secondary muscles are often in a shortened position while carrying a backpack due to their propensity to carry heavy loads while breathing heavily, often for long periods of time. restricts the movement of the rib cage and sternum and forces other areas of the torso, such as the upper back, to breathe. In addition, the backpack hip belt prevents proper contraction of the diaphragm and expansion of breathing into the lower abdomen and back, as well as relaxation of the pelvic floor.

Proper 360° Breathing During Exercise

When you inhale, the diaphragm contracts, the ribs lift like the handles of a bucket, and the rib roots expand forward, backward, and side to side. The sternum simultaneously lifts like the handle of an old-fashioned water pump and the pelvic floor relaxes (and vice versa when exhaling). As you inhale, it is important that your abdomen expands slightly along the middle and lower back. Do not hold your breath at the top of your breath.

As you inhale, do not shrug your shoulders and do not tilt your ribcage upward. This creates a “hinge point” between the top and bottom of the spine. Do not push your head forward or let your belly tuck in as you inhale.

It’s also important to exhale slowly and longer than you inhale, and avoid squeezing your lower back as you exhale. In fact, the area under your ribs should flatten out and come down with your lower belly as you exhale. Finally, pace your breathing. The longer you exhale, the better the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide.

How to walk uphill without getting out of breath

It’s important to wear a pack that fits properly, balance the weight on your hips, and adjust the load properly to keep your spine in line. It’s about learning to use your breath. This minimizes effort while safely stabilizing the spine. Exhale intentionally during strenuous movements, such as large step-ups, and use your entire abdominal muscle during the exhale, not just the area below your hipbelt. At the end of your exhalation, hold your breath for a short time, then “let go” and naturally begin to take another breath as you rebound.

Finally, avoid mouth breathing. Yes, it sounds scary to try, but mouth breathing activates the sympathetic nervous system and turns on the “fight or flight” reflex. Maybe not, but with practice, learning to breathe through your nose stimulates your parasympathetic nervous system, which calms your breathing and keeps your heart rate low.

Breathing Techniques for Successful Hiking

Try these breathing-improving exercises at home 2-3 times a week to increase efficiency on your uphill hikes. These can be done for a few minutes or anytime during your workout.

Hookline 360° breathing

3 sets of 5-10 breaths. Inhale for 5 seconds and exhale for 10 seconds including the hold.

1. Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat.
2. Inhale slowly, relax your pelvic floor, and let your lower belly expand slightly. Then, inhale into your mid-back ribs and finally into your front chest.
3. Tighten your lower abdomen and exhale fully (think zipping up a pair of skinny jeans), bringing your ribcage together and down flat. Squeeze out every drop of air and exhale maximally for 3-5 seconds.
4. Relax and allow the next inhalation to begin naturally with a rebound.

Avoid tilting your rib cage up to breathe deeper. This can lead to uneven bulging in the lower or upper abdomen and shrugged shoulders.

Parov Press

Secure a medium-weight resistance band at chest height perpendicular to your body and perform 3 sets of 8 repetitions. Wear a lightweight backpack and increase the load by 10-15% each week.

1. Stand with two parallel feet and bend your knees slightly. Hold the band with both hands in front of your sternum. Rotate your shoulders back and down.
2. Exhale as you reach your hands forward from your shoulder blades without rotating your torso.
3. As you inhale, bring your hands back and draw your shoulder blades together.

Keep your spine and pelvis neutral (don’t shrug your shoulders) and start with your shoulder blades, not your arms. Also, just like you did with the hookline breathing exercise, breathe in and out with even pressure.

Abducted Lunge and Adducted Lunge

Use a medium weight resistance band and do 3 sets of 8 reps. Wear a lightweight backpack and increase the load by 10-15% each week.

1. Secure the band at knee height perpendicular to your front knee.
2. Step one foot into the band and place the other foot behind you.
3. With your ribcage over your pelvis, inhale and drop for 2 or more counts into a 90/90 lunge.
4. Exceed 2 counts while exhaling. Don’t put your feet together. Complete all reps on one side before switching legs.
5. Pull back the big toe mound and keep the pinky toe firmly pressed down.
6. Do the exercise twice. Anchor the band on the left and on the right of each leg.

As you perform these lunges, stack your ribcage over your pelvis, place your front knee over your front ankle, and don’t slouch. Inhale into your lower abdomen and mid-back, and exhale with even pressure.

Robin is a corrective movement specialist and invisible disability advocate with over 10 years of experience.

Robin Fogg
MS physiology, PCES/CES/CPT/WFS/FNS
Owner of hypermobility exercise solutions
HypermobilityExerciseSolutions.com
Evergreen, Colorado