Guide · body · 3 min read
When to be careful with breathing exercises — a short read, when you have just finished work
Breathing exercises are generally very safe, but there are situations where the standard advice needs adjusting.
Start here
Six things, in the order that makes the most difference. The first two do most of the work.
The gap right after work is the easiest one to use.
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
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.
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.
If breathing exercises consistently make you feel worse, stop. They are a tool, not a moral obligation.
What to do when it does not work
Do not do forceful breathing exercises while driving, swimming or operating machinery.
Panic attacks and breath holds are a bad combination. Holds can trigger the sensation of suffocation that panic is already producing.
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
Can breathing exercises lower blood pressure?
Some slow-breathing practices show modest effects in studies. They are a supplement to treatment, never a replacement.
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.
Written for people who want the practical version. No accounts, no tracking, no newsletter wall.