Flushed face post cardio? Try this.
June 13, 2016 Ashley 0 Comments
We all want the long term results our thorough workouts offer.
But the short term result of a flushed mug?
Not so much.
This fitness misfortune haunted me most of my life. I’d run for all of ten minutes and, suddenly, my face skin was crimson. It wasn’t until a few years ago that it “magically” went away. One day, I’d just finished an hour long run in 90 degree heat, and noticed that – although I was a disgusting onion scented carnal waterfall – my face was the same color as the rest of my body. This came as a huge shock to me, considering I’d spent my whole life looking like a Rosacea patient after aerobics of any kind.
Mind you, I’m not talking about this:
(Totally normal. If you’re not at least looking like this, then you’re not working tough enough.)
Nay, sir. I’m talking about this:
A lot of articles I’ll read will talk about how it’s genetic or my Anglo Saxon background clouding my Hawaiian one (thanks, mom.) Others will blame vasodilation – saying I just have more blood vessels in my face. Mmmkay. I’ll bite. But, like, where did all those the blood vessels go two summers ago? Your move, science! Well, to be fair, it’s not science’s fault. It’s the scientists, per usual. Because what I’d changed is totally scientific. It’s just that nobody seems to really be providing that as a solution for rouge faced folks.
So what was it I’d changed?
Yoga. Well, if nothing else, the breathing and postural bit of it. See, when you start doing some sort of respiratory practice, it calms you down and redirects blood flow. And it makes sense. ’cause if you’re the type whose face goes fuchsia under mental duress as well as after a sweat sesh, then what’s usually at fault there? What’s the first visible thing you can note when your feel feathers get ruffled? Your breathing. When I’m breathing high and tight and erratic, my body reads that as anxiety, releases histamine, and boom – red patches. Even out that breathing pattern for a few moments, though, and the skin on the front’ve my skull matches the rest of my body anew.
That said, intense cardio is hardly the time for deep and slow breathing. We need more oxygen, so obviously, we don’t want to be respiring like someone in lotus position, on a calm mountaintop, finding their third eye. What we do want, however, is to maintain a calming cadence to that breathing that matches what our body’s doing. If you’re sucking down air, grimacing, and hunching forward (who else’s shoulders scrunch up when they’re stressed out?), then of course your face’ll get flushed. You’re breathing like a bear’s nipping at your kicks (less oxygen), your neck bends forward because your shoulder’s are scrunched (even less oxygen because you’re reducing airway flow), and to top it all off – the rest of you goes a bit tense, too. For one, that usually means your diaphragm (kinda crucial for breathing) isn’t functioning at max capacity either. And, also, it usually means your face and jaw are tensing up – an involuntary emotional reaction to discomfort – another perfect recipe for anti somatic calm.
(WWRPGD? AKA – What would ridiculously photogenic guy do? Hint: he *wouldn’t* tense his face up.)
I didn’t make this connection straight away a couple summers ago when I started running. And I don’t know if it would work for everyone (but it certainly couldn’t hurt to try.) What I do know, though, is that it makes complete sense. Between the postural correction of yoga (no more throat accordion or vicing my diaphram via tension) and the better breathing and body habits (no more wheezing like an emphysemic septuagenarian sixty seconds into sweating), I’ve mostly nixed my crimson face syndrome. Well… except on days like today, when I was already flustered ’cause my morning run had me running late for work.
Alright, so a lot of this may sound slightly vague.
So here’s what you can actually do.
First, maybe try a breathing-centric yoga class (or Youtube video). If you think of the way you breathe as a muscle – a habit – to be retrained, then doing it correctly under pressure will come more naturally later. (Fantastic also for stressful situations in general.)
Second, be very aware of what your body is doing when you run. If you eschew tension the second it begins – especially in the neck and shoulders and face – you’ll notice a massive contrast in how calm you feel.
And, third, try this fantastic mid-run breathing exercise below that I encountered on Greatist.
“While there’s no golden rule, many runners find it most comfortable to take one breath for every two foot strikes, says Alison McConnell, a breathing expert and author of Breathe Strong Perform Better. This means taking two steps (one left, one right) while breathing in and two steps while breathing out—also known as the 2:2 rhythm . Because the diaphragm and surrounding organs are all subject to the forces of gravity, McConnell says, synchronizing the breath to running cadence will keep the organs from putting unnecessary pressure on the diaphragm, which can impede breathing (and make running more uncomfortable than it needs to be).”
As for the whole “nose/mouth” debate, I myself adhere to breathing in through my smell-holes and out through my food one (as it’s more calming), but trial and error’s where it’s at. Do what works for you. Either way, this type of cadence seems to generate much success amongst runners, so you may find that a comparable routine (if you’re a cycler or swimmer) will impart the same. So, if you like, try a mix of this along with the other tips, come back, and lemme know if they made you look any less like a McIntosh Apple after aerobics.
Best of luck, fellow fitness freaks rocking the scarlet facades.
May you all feel calmer and look less red while running the route to Slims-ville…
