why does keeping our hands on our knees help us regain our breathing faster when you run?

Question

why does keeping our hands on our knees help us regain our breathing faster when you run?

In: Biology

Answer 1

EMT student here:
It actually has less to do with where your arms are and more to do with the position you are in. When people have trouble breathing they tend to go straight to the tripod position, a common position that pulls your epiglottis and tongue away from your trachea, allowing more room for air to travel. We are instructed to assist unresponsive patients by performing a [head tilt chin lift](https://images.app.goo.gl/W4YF6pEBXTq8Uk8r8) or if they have a neck/cervical spine injury, a [jaw thrust](https://images.app.goo.gl/MuYg9hEMhNE3crjT7) which has the same effect. The head tilt-chin lift maneuver is basically what is happening when runners put their hands on their knees and look up like [this](https://images.app.goo.gl/xmQRX8nzkmMZSn5p7).

TL;DR- it puts you in a position that makes your airpipe wider