Breathing and Core Stability: Osteopathic Tips for Runners

Why Breathing Matters

• Diaphragmatic (belly) breathing enhances oxygen uptake and endurance for runners, and can stabilize emotions and reduce stress during exertion.

• Efficient breathing patterns (such as rhythmic or 360° breathing) are linked to better core muscle activation and intra-abdominal pressure, leading to greater biomechanical stability during runs.

Core Stability for Runners

• The core isn’t just the abs. It includes deep muscles (transverse abdominis, multifidus), pelvic floor, diaphragm, and lower back.

• Osteopaths highlight that true functional core stability means breathing well while moving dynamically—not holding the breath or relying on superficial, chest-based breathing.

• Good core stability enables power transfer, balance, and posture control, reducing excess trunk rotation and preventing injuries such as low back pain, hip flexor strain, or poor shoulder mechanics.

Osteopathic Techniques & Tips

1. 360° Diaphragmatic Breathing

• Practice breathing into all directions—front, sides, and back—not just belly expansion.

• Lying down, place hands around the lower ribs and inhale deeply, feeling the ribs expand all around. Progress to maintaining this expansion while sitting, standing, and running.

2. Rhythmic Breathing Patterns

• Time your breathing rhythm with your footfalls to spread impact forces evenly between feet, improving diaphragmatic and core stability.

• Try a 5-step or 3-step breathing pattern: inhale for 3 steps, exhale for 2.

3. Integrated Core & Breath Training

• Perform core exercises (like dead bugs, planks, bridges) focusing on breathing through movement—never breath-holding.

• Use Pilates, dynamic walking, and mobility drills to recruit deep trunk stabilizers with controlled breath.

4. Coordination Drills

• Lie supine with feet on the wall, knees bent, a foam roller between knees. Inhale to activate the diaphragm, exhale while engaging pelvic floor and abs.

• Use balloon breathing, focusing on slow inhalation and long, full exhalation to recruit deep core muscles and stabilize the lumbar spine.

Key Benefits

• Reduces risk of injury: Prevents excess low back movement, rotation, and compensatory patterns.

• Boosts running performance: Improves energy transfer, stride power, and overall control.

• Minimises fatigue and side stitches: More efficient oxygen use and less trunk strain.

• Supports posture and recovery: Enhances spinal alignment, and aids body’s ability to recover from high-impact activities.

Runners who train both core stability and functional breathing gain lasting improvements in comfort, speed, and injury resilience. Osteopathic approaches prioritize integrating breath into all movement, rather than treating breathing and core as separate entities—a principle that can benefit runners of all levels.