Guide · body · 3 min read
When to be careful with breathing exercises — a calm, practical approach, when you have been putting it off
Breathing exercises are generally very safe, but there are situations where the standard advice needs adjusting.
Start here
Here is what tends to work, in the order that helps most.
You have been putting this off. Starting is the only step that matters.
If you only do one thing from this page, do the first point below. It is first because it removes the most friction for the least effort.
What helps
Stop if you feel dizzy, tingly or lightheaded. Those symptoms usually mean you are breathing too fast or too deeply, not that you are doing it well.
Panic attacks and breath holds are a bad combination. Holds can trigger the sensation of suffocation that panic is already producing.
Do not do forceful breathing exercises while driving, swimming or operating machinery.
What to do when it does not work
Skip breath holds if you are pregnant, or if you have a heart, blood pressure or lung condition. Slow breathing without holds is usually fine, but ask a doctor first.
If breathing exercises consistently make you feel worse, stop. They are a tool, not a moral obligation.
If you have asthma, keep your inhaler nearby and do not use exercises that involve long exhales through pursed lips during an attack.
Questions people ask
Is deep breathing always good?
No. Over-breathing is what causes the dizziness many people associate with "deep breathing". Slow and quiet is usually better than deep.
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