How Can I Improve My Breathing Exercises?

Not yet medically reviewed.

To improve a breathing exercise, first clarify what you are trying to improve. A more forceful breath or a longer practice is not automatically a better exercise. NHLBI places breathing techniques within an assessed rehabilitation program. A useful next step is a review of your actual technique and goal, not an internet challenge to do more.

Show the practice, not just its name

At your next respiratory appointment, describe who taught the exercise and demonstrate what you normally do. Include the posture, device if any, and the situation in which you use it. These are editorial suggestions for making a conversation specific; they are not a home assessment protocol.

Ask, ‘What is this technique meant to help me do?’ One person may be discussing an activity that feels difficult; another may be asking about a relaxation practice. Naming the goal helps the professional explain whether the exercise being demonstrated matches the intended task.

NHLBI describes individualized assessment and several kinds of rehabilitation education. Its overview does not establish a universal breathing ratio, repetition count or progression for everyone. If a video differs from what you were taught, bring that difference to the team instead of combining the instructions.

Decide what would count as a useful change

A practical note can be brief: the activity, what you tried, what seemed different and what remained difficult. You might write, ‘I remembered the technique during dressing but still felt unsure about the timing.’ That is an example of a conversation aid, not a validated symptom score.

Keep different outcomes separate. NCCIH’s adult asthma summary reports possible quality-of-life and hyperventilation-symptom benefits, but probably no improvement in asthma symptoms from the breathing exercises studied. Feeling more confident is not the same claim as improving lung function or curing a condition.

That summary concerns adults with asthma and older research. It cannot tell you how much benefit to expect from your particular app, class or breathing device. Ask what evidence relates to the exercise and outcome you are discussing, especially before paying for equipment.

Ask for an adjustment you can explain back

If the practice is confusing, uncomfortable or unhelpful, take that information to the person responsible for your care. Ask them to explain the intended version again and what should prompt another review. Do not build your own progression by adding resistance, long breath holds or extra sessions from unrelated routines.

NCCIH advises that complementary approaches must not replace prescribed asthma treatment. A breathing exercise being discussed as an addition to care is not permission to change medicines or oxygen.

A useful review ends with a clear purpose, instructions appropriate to you and a way to ask for help. If unexpected serious breathing difficulty develops, seek emergency help; do not keep practicing to test whether the exercise works.

Evidence and limits

The NHLBI overview dates to March 24, 2022. NCCIH’s March 2022 overview summarizes particular adult asthma studies; it is not a new appraisal of every breathing practice. The examples here organize a review and do not prescribe exercise.