Hey there! Have you ever run around so much that you felt out of breath? That’s exactly what happened to me and my friend Squeaks when we raced each other. He won, but I finally caught up, and we were both breathing really fast!
When you move a lot, like running or playing, your body needs more air to keep your muscles working. So, you start breathing in and out quickly. This is sometimes called “getting winded.”
But there’s another kind of “getting winded” that can happen. It’s called “getting the wind knocked out of you.” This happens when the air is suddenly pushed out of your lungs, making it hard to breathe for a minute or two. It usually happens if you fall on your back or get hit in the stomach while playing sports.
I remember it happened to me once when I was diving to catch a softball. It can be a little scary, but don’t worry! It’s not dangerous, and it goes away pretty quickly. The muscles you use to breathe just get a little shock, and they need a moment to start working normally again.
You can actually feel these muscles in action! Try taking a deep breath. Do you feel your chest and stomach move up and down? Now, put your hand just above your stomach, right under your rib cage. That’s where your diaphragm is, the main muscle we use to breathe.
When we breathe in, the diaphragm moves down, making our lungs bigger so air can rush in. When we breathe out, it moves up, making our lungs smaller and pushing the air out.
If you fall or get hit in the stomach, your diaphragm gets a big surprise and clenches up, making it hard to breathe. It’s like clenching your fist really tight—it’s hard to open your fingers, right? But don’t worry! The diaphragm will relax soon, and you’ll be able to breathe normally again.
When I got the wind knocked out of me, I learned some tricks to help my diaphragm relax faster. Pulling my knees up to my body helped, and so did breathing slowly. I breathed in through my nose and out through my mouth, and soon I felt better.
Knowing what was happening and how to help it go away made it less scary the next time it happened. It’s always important to tell a grown-up if you fall or get hurt. But learning about how our bodies work can help us feel better faster!
Thanks for joining us! If you have questions about breathing, your body, or anything else, you can ask a grown-up to help you visit our website at patreon.com/scishowkids. See you next time!
Breathing Buddy: Find a partner and take turns being the “Breathing Buddy.” One person will run in place for 30 seconds while the other watches. After running, the runner should describe how their breathing feels. The buddy can place their hand gently on the runner’s back to feel how it moves with each breath. Switch roles and discuss what you noticed about your breathing and how it changed after running.
Diaphragm Discovery: Lie down on your back with a small stuffed animal on your stomach. Take deep breaths and watch how the stuffed animal moves up and down. Try to make it move slowly by breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth. This will help you see how your diaphragm works to help you breathe.
Wind Knocked Out Role Play: Pretend you are playing a sport and accidentally fall or get hit in the stomach. Practice the steps to feel better: pull your knees up to your body and breathe slowly in through your nose and out through your mouth. Talk about how it feels and why these steps help your diaphragm relax.
