Shortness of breath and side stitch while running: how to breathe correctly

You start running — and instantly feel out of breath? Getting a stabbing pain in your side? Let’s break down why this happens and what to do so you can run freely and without pain.

🫁 Why shortness of breath appears while running

Shortness of breath is not a diagnosis. It’s a normal physiological response to increased oxygen demand in the body.

When you start running, your body needs more energy. Your heart beats faster, your breathing speeds up — and that’s normal.

But if your breathing becomes too heavy, choppy, or panicky, that’s a signal: your body isn’t keeping up with the load.

Causes of shortness of breath in beginners:

• A sudden start without a warm-up

• Pace that is too fast

• Weak aerobic base

• Stress, nerves, or anxiety

• Posture issues and poor breathing technique

• Smoking or reduced respiratory function

🚦 How to tell “normal” shortness of breath from dangerous

📌 Talk test:

If you can speak in short phrases — you’re fine. If you can’t get even a couple of words out — slow down.

🤕 Why you get a side stitch — and how it’s connected to breathing

Almost every beginner has felt sharp pain in the side at least once — more often on the right. It’s not your “kidneys” or “liver”, as many think.

🔬 What’s happening:

A side stitch occurs because of a spasm of the diaphragm — the main breathing muscle that works actively when you run.

If you breathe shallowly, sharply, and don’t coordinate your inhale with your steps correctly, the diaphragm “gets stuck” and pain appears.

📌 Causes:

• Poor warm-up

• A heavy meal too close to your run

• Choppy or shallow breathing

• Insufficient core muscle tone

💡 What to do if you get a side stitch:

• Slow down or switch to walking

• Take a deep, slow exhale through your mouth

• Press the painful area with your fingers, lean slightly forward

• Breathe “into your belly” — gently and rhythmically

🚫 What not to do:

• Keep running at your limit

• Ignore the pain — it will get worse

• Try to “break through” the stitch by speeding up

🧘 How to learn to breathe correctly while running

No magic. Just practice and a bit of attention to your body.

Basic principles:

• Breathe through mouth and nose together, especially as you speed up

• Try to breathe deeply, with your diaphragm (belly), not your chest

• Choose a breathing rhythm, for example:

  • 3 steps — inhale

  • 2 steps — exhale

This rhythm helps you avoid breath-holding and better coordinate movement and breathing.

🧍What else affects breathing

• Posture — tight shoulders and a twisted torso = poor ventilation

• Pace — starting too fast = panic and hyperventilation

• Warm-up — helps “switch on” the lungs and stabilize breathing before you start

• Mindset — anxiety intensifies the feeling of “not enough air”, even when oxygen saturation is normal

✅ What to do if you’re gasping for air from the first meters

1. Don’t panic. It doesn’t mean you’re “not cut out for running”

2. Slow down or switch to walking — breathe deeply

3. Check your posture: don’t hunch, don’t clamp your shoulders

4. Breathe rhythmically through nose and mouth, to a count

5. Give your body 10 minutes — often shortness of breath fades as you adapt

📋 Checklist: running without shortness of breath and side stitch

• ✅ Do a 5–7 minute warm-up

• ✅ Don’t eat 1.5–2 hours before your workout

• ✅ Run at a pace where you can talk

• ✅ Breathe in rhythm, don’t hold your breath

• ✅ Engage belly/diaphragmatic breathing

• ✅ Don’t chase pace — chase comfort

• ✅ Start with short distances

• ✅ Add a URX race to your plan — it gives you a goal, but without pressure

🎯 Takeaway

Shortness of breath and side stitch are no reason to quit running. They’re just signals that your body needs time to adapt.

Proper breathing, a gentle start, and a bit of awareness — and you’ll be running for pure enjoyment.

And when someone in the group asks, “who does a warm-up and breathes by a pattern?” — you already know whose hand will go up.