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Helpful Hint

Michael Mullin, ATC, LAT, PTA from Portland, Maine recently sent us this helpful hint to use with our patients that enjoy running!

I just had a patient come back to see me and she stated:

“I just returned from Everest and it was the hardest thing I have ever done in my life.  There were times when I was having a really hard time breathing above 17,000 feet, and without oxygen, you are trying to find air.  There were others that needed to be evacuated, but I practiced the diaphragmatic things you taught me about full exhalation and re-oxygenation and I swear it saved me—literally saved my life when I did not think I was going to make it”.

I have been having my runners work on a breathing cycle with quite good results:  inhaling on 2 strides and exhaling on 3 strides.  This reinforces not only good respiratory control and reducing hyperinflation, but it also allows them to push off on exhalation on alternating legs to maintain symmetry. 

Posted July 23, 2009 at 6:00am by Bobbie Rappl.
Categories: Techniques • 0 Comments