Guide · body · 3 min read
When to be careful with breathing exercises — where to start, when you feel fine and want to stay that way
Breathing exercises are generally very safe, but there are situations where the standard advice needs adjusting.
Start here
A short explanation first, because knowing why makes the doing easier.
Feeling fine is a good reason to do this, not a reason to skip it.
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
If you have asthma, keep your inhaler nearby and do not use exercises that involve long exhales through pursed lips during an attack.
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.
Do not do forceful breathing exercises while driving, swimming or operating machinery.
What to do when it does not work
Panic attacks and breath holds are a bad combination. Holds can trigger the sensation of suffocation that panic is already producing.
If breathing exercises consistently make you feel worse, stop. They are a tool, not a moral obligation.
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.
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.
Can breathing exercises lower blood pressure?
Some slow-breathing practices show modest effects in studies. They are a supplement to treatment, never a replacement.
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