A stitch will usually go away quickly after just slowing down or
stopping. If you're in a race or you just don't want to stop,
however, you can often make it go away by bringing your breathing
into careful control. Concentrate on belly breathing, pushing your
belly out when you breathe in and relaxing it as you breathe out.
Take deep breaths on the intake, and exhale suddenly, even noisily.
To get the diaphragm to contract in rhythm with your steps, try to
inhale and exhale as you land on your left foot. Strange but true,
this can help prevent spasms by encouraging the diaphragm to bounce
along in sync with your stride.
If the pain is just too much and you have to stop, try bending over
and raising your knee on the stitch side while pressing your
fingers deep into the painful area and tightening your stomach
muscles. Or just walk while belly breathing
