Breathing is the natural flow of life. From the moment you are to the moment you die, your body is being continuously supplied with fresh air through your breaths. When you breathe, the body takes in oxygen from the air to supply all your cells with energy.

Breathing properly for any sort of physical activity is essential. A well timed breathe in the right place can help you do things you normally can’t, giving you a little extra umph!  Take the basic bench press for example – you exhale as you push upwards and inhale as you bring the weight back. There are countless other examples of this but this article will be dealing with breathing for Parkour. Keep in mind that this is not required to do any of the movements but it will enhance every little aspect and push you just a little bit farther.

[High or Upper Chest Breathing]

This type of breathing is characterized by short, rapid, shallow breaths. This is usually developed as a habit by smokers and should be avoided – approximately 10% of your lungs are filled during this type of breathing. Using this method constantly will cause light headedness and is associated with hyperventilation. It should avoided!!!!

[Middle Breathing]

The lower ribs expand forward and to the sides with each breath. This is the most common form of breathing – you’re probably doing it right now. If you place a finger on top of your ribs and they move outward as you breathe in, you’re using middle breathing.  This type is natural and should be used normally. It’s estimated that 30-45% of your lungs are filled with these breaths.

[Low or Abdominal Breathing]

This is what you’re yearning for; it’s what you’re body needs most. This type of breathing utilizes the diaphragm and abdominal muscles. When you breathe in the abdomen expands and as you breathe out the abdomen deflates. This should be used to energize yourself, release stress, and clear your mind.

Begin by practicing your Low Abdominal Breathing. Just take 10 minutes out of everyday to just sit there and breathe. Feel every breath that enters your body – visualize it as invigorating energy supercharging your body. When you exhale visualize it as a dark, murky cloud of bad stuffs leaving your body. In no time you’ll feel a LOT better then you felt before you consciously started breathing. Practice enough and use the visualization and soon you might be able to feel your own energy beginning to circulate inside your body.

Now that we know the difference between the types of breath and you’ve practiced deep breathing it’s time to apply what you’ve learned to Parkour. Anytime that I  ask you to inhale you should do a powerful, deep abdominal inhalation. When you exhale it will also be from the lower region of your stomach.  I’ll list specific movements and points of breathing that I have found most helpful.

[Rolling / Landing Drops]

You’ve probably heard this a lot but as you land or roll, you should exhale and feel yourself collapsing. This helps you absorb impact and keep yourself compact throughout the roll. It will help you land softer, firmer, and with more control. It will allow you to feel your rolls flow and smooth out.

[Wall Runs]

For this technique I found it best if you inhale at the point of takeoff. It will help you time your jump and push off so that you can maximize your height. As you reach the edge of the wall, grip firmly and exhale deeply as you pull/push yourself up onto the ledge. So inhale as you jump, exhale as you get on top.

[Vaults]

For almost every vault you do you should be exhaling as you leave the ground. The only exception I found for this was the monkey/kong vault where I find it best to exhale as you push off the object with your arms. It’s the only plausible way to get as much distance as Tyson ;) (Well, he just moves the earth underneath him, cheater.)

[Tic Tac]

Like the wall run, you should be inhaling as you take off and exhaling as you push off the wall! Be sure to get in a quick breath before you hit the ground so you can exhale once again for the landing.

[Precisions]

This is another movement where breathing can help you increase your distance by a few inches EASILY. Just take a few deep breaths before hand, clear your mind, then take one last deep breath before attempting. As you swing your arms forward and jump out, give a sharp exhalation and reach for your target. As you land, keep air out of your lungs to keep focused. As you’re trying to regain balance please continue to breathe normally :)

[Back layouts and Pikes]

Breathing short through the upper body is useful when backflipping, since it arches the spine and assists rotation during layouts and pikes.

I will be adding onto this list with more specific examples. Please remember this is a work in progress. If you have any valuable advice that you feel can contribute, please send an email to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it so I can latch it on :) Thanks!

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