The Zone 2 Trick: Breathe Through Your Nose

Coaching helps you maximize your workouts, whether you’re lifting heavier weights by improving your technique; pushing really hard in a HIIT workout, or staying focused during your Zone 2 block. Many of us wear a heart rate monitor in our Zone 2 workouts especially, but you don’t need one.

First, here’s what I mean by “zone 2”:

Why Nasal Breathing Helps You Stay in Zone 2
Nasal breathing forces you to keep your pace under control. Unlike mouth breathing, which lets you pull in large volumes of air and might tempt you to speed up, breathing only through your nose keeps things steady. If you can comfortably breathe through your nose during exercise, chances are you’re maintaining that 60-70% heart rate range, perfect for Zone 2.

When you start to feel the need to switch to mouth breathing, it’s usually a signal that you’re pushing beyond Zone 2 and into a higher-intensity zone, which is great when you’re aiming zone 3-5, but not when you’re trying to improve your base endurance or burn fat.

A few Bonuses of Nasal Breathing
Nasal breathing isn’t just a neat trick for heart rate control; it brings a few other benefits to your workout, too:

1. Improved Oxygen Efficiency
   Breathing through your nose allows your body to better filter and humidify the air before it reaches your lungs. This leads to more efficient oxygen exchange, which can help you go longer and recover faster.
2. Lower Stress Levels
   When you breathe through your nose, you activate your parasympathetic nervous system (the “rest and digest” mode), which can help lower cortisol levels and keep you calm. This is perfect for those long, steady workouts that should feel challenging, but not stressful.
3. Better Air Filtration
   Your nose filters out dust, allergens, and other unwanted particles from the air. This reduces the risk of irritation during your workout, which is especially important during outdoor runs.
4. Increased CO2 Tolerance
   Nasal breathing increases your tolerance to carbon dioxide (CO2), which helps regulate your breathing and improves your body’s ability to use oxygen more effectively. Over time, this can help boost endurance, making you more efficient in everything from your Zone 2 training to high-intensity intervals.

How to Start
If you’re not used to nasal breathing, start slow. It might feel uncomfortable at first, especially during higher intensities. Try it during your warm-up and cool-down phases or when you’re walking between strength sets. Gradually extend it into your cardio work.

As always, remember that consistency is key. Zone 2 training is all about building a strong aerobic base, and breathing through your nose is a simple, effective way to ensure you’re staying in that zone without a heart rate monitor. Keep at it, and you’ll not only improve your endurance but also see benefits in your overall stress levels, breathing efficiency, and recovery.