SECRETS TO BETTER BREATHING

Pumping oxygen to your screaming muscles seems automatic—go hard, suck wind, repeat. But done with care, breathing can help you perform better in almost any sport.

SWIMMING

P R O B L E M It’s hard to swim fast and straight.
B R E AT H I N G F I X: Breathe on both sides, says swim coach Kevin Koskella, of triswimcoach.com. And focus on turning your torso instead of your head, rolling your body until your mouth is above water. "Raising your head will slow you down and disrupt your stroke rhythm," says Koskella.

RUNNING

P R O B L E M Your muscles tighten up on hills or when you’re pushing through the last mile.
B R E AT H I N G F I X: Try fully inhaling and exhaling through your nose, which will help facilitate breathing from the abdomen. This calms you down and relaxes your muscles, says
Scott Jurek, a seven-time champion ultramarathoner.

CYCLING

P R O B L E M When you’re tucked in racing position, tight shoulders and neck make it hard to draw a deep breath.
B R E AT H I N G F I X: When seated, "keep your fingers loose on the handlebar, as if you were going to play the piano," says Dirk Friel, a USACycling certified coach. Your muscles will loosen, your chest will open, and your heart rate will decrease.

BASKETBALL
P R O B L E M Your free throws are bricks.
B R E AT H I N G F I X: "Many players have this habit of holding their breath when they shoot," says Erik Spoelstra, a bench coach for the Miami Heat. "But the key to a good shooting stroke is to stay relaxed, and to do so, you should take a breath and let it out just before or during your shot."