Side stitches without sport
Mostly side stitches occur during sports activities, especially endurance sports. However, there are also side stitches caused by other causes. After operations, side stitches often cause similar pain, which can last for a long time under certain circumstances. If side stings occur without sports activities, organs can be the trigger, but also ligaments and tendons can trigger the pain.
Breathing technique to combat side stings
Breathing is probably one of the key aspects in fighting side stings. Even and vigorous breathing can make side stitches disappear very quickly. The basis for this is an upright position where you breathe deeply into your stomach.
If there is no more room there, breathe a little more into the chest. A bit more air went into the thorax. And when you continue to breathe in, a little more air goes into the lungs.
You have then inhaled three times. This is the so-called 3-breath breathing when you inhale. As for the inhalation, there is also a 3-breath for the exhalation.
Now you breathe out again as deeply as you can and your upper body bends forward. Afterwards you try to squeeze out the last remaining breath. After the second time wait a short time and try again to squeeze something out.
The combination of the 3-breath inhalation and 3-breath out is called 3-3-breath. One inhales three times and exhales three times. You should practice this as often as possible.
The next time side stitches appear, you can breathe them away with the 3-3-breath. With this technique you train to use the full volume of your lungs. This will tighten the lung sac and you will breathe more effectively.
When running, you can also use other combinations of this breathing to prevent side stitches. A 3-3 breathing can be replaced by a 3-2 breathing, 2-3 breathing, 3-1 breathing or 2-1 breathing, depending on how fast you are running and which breathing technique is suitable. You can also optimize your breathing rate to avoid side stitches.
A fast inhalation and exhalation does not help much. It is often assumed that more oxygen reaches the lungs through frequent breathing. However, this is not the case, as the breathing phases are much too short to transport the oxygen to the alveoli.
At the alveoli, our blood also needs some time to absorb the oxygen. Unfortunately, this does not happen as fast as one might wish from one’s body. It is therefore advisable to observe your breathing and to change it if necessary.
Another technique is nasal breathing. It should be practiced at low speeds first to get the body used to it. But if you have mastered nasal breathing, then it has many advantages, especially if you can also perform nasal breathing at higher speeds.
By breathing in through the nose, the air flowing through is quasi cleaned and filtered. It is also moistened and slightly warmed, which makes it more comfortable for the lungs to run, especially when the air is cold. In addition, the throat does not dry out so quickly.
At breakfast you should mainly eat light and low-fiber food with little fat. Breakfast should be served 2-3 hours before training or competition, so that the stomach has enough time for digestion. Warming up gets the body going and ensures good blood redistribution.
Breathing is also adapted to the increased oxygen requirement. When starting, despite warming up, you should not go full throttle directly, but start slowly and increase the pace. The trunk can make the difference.
A well-trained torso prevents side stitches and also protects the internal organs. Strong abdominal muscles are very effective in preventing side stitches. Especially the oblique abdominal muscles play an important role here.
A few sit-ups every day can help to reduce the chance of side stitches. Breathing should be controlled to ensure a steady supply of oxygen. Irregular and shallow breathing can lead to side stitches.
- At breakfast you should eat mainly light and low-fiber food with little fat.
- Breakfast should be served 2-3 hours before training or competition to allow the stomach enough time to digest.
- Warming up gets the body going and ensures good blood redistribution. Breathing is also adapted to the increased oxygen demand.
- When starting, despite warming up, you should not go full throttle directly, but start slowly and increase the speed.
- The hull can make the difference. A well-trained torso prevents side stitches and also protects the internal organs.
- Strong abdominal muscles are very effective in preventing side stitches.
Especially the oblique abdominal muscles play an important role here. A few sit-ups every day can help reduce the likelihood of side stitches.
- Breathing should be controlled to ensure a steady supply of oxygen. Irregular and shallow breathing can lead to side stings.
However, running training, strengthening the abdominal muscles and learning the correct breathing technique are essential if you want to prevent side stitches. A trained body is a good starting position to be able to withstand slightly higher loads without side stitches.