When hiking, breathe through the nose to improve oxygen intake

Hiking or climbing a mountain is a strenuous activity but you may be able to improve your performance if you breathe right. – Pixabay

Breathe in and out through your nose, not your mouth, when you are out hiking or in the mountains to improve your oxygen intake, is the guidance from specialists.

“Our performance in the mountains also depends on breathing correctly,” says high-altitude mountaineer Alix von Melle.

To avoid panting, breathe through your nose, is her tip. “It has been proven that breathing through your nose is more effective,” says the athlete. “It means our organs are better supplied with oxygen and we have more energy.”

The science behind that is breathing in and out through your nose means the oxygen saturation level in your blood is 10% to 15% higher than it would be otherwise.

That does not necessarily mean it’s easy – especially if you are trying it out for the first time on a steep slope, for example.

You are best advised to practise it consciously while you are out walking, jogging or doing yoga. “And then you can continue to practise on hikes,” she says.

What helps is if you also have a certain rhythm in your walking as then you can breathe in through your nose during one step and out through your nose over the next two steps.

The important thing is that your own breath dictates your steps and not the other way around.

“You don’t want to be huffing and puffing to catch up with your steps,” says the climber. As soon as your breath quickens again, you should slow down and take smaller steps.

If you feel fitter, you can adjust the pace. “Then you can also breathe in on one step and breathe out on one step.”

As a high-altitude mountaineer, she is well-placed to give advice in this area, having already climbed seven peaks that are more than 8,000m high, including K2.

Up to about 5,000m altitude, breathing with your mouth closed is possible in easy terrain, she says.

But once you are moving in extreme altitudes or along difficult passages, however, it is best to switch back to breathing through your mouth, von Melle recommends. – dpa