Out with the old, stale air and in with new fresh air. That's the theme of the two most useful breathing exercises—pursed lip breathing and belly breathing—taught by pulmonary rehabilitation specialists to individuals with chronic lung diseases such as asthma and COPD.  Like aerobic exercise improves your heart function and strengthens your muscles, breathing exercises can make your lungs more efficient.

Why Breathing Exercises Help

When you have healthy lungs, breathing is natural and easy. You breathe in and out with your diaphragm doing about 80 percent of the work to fill your lungs with a mixture of oxygen and other gases, and then to send the waste gas out. Lung HelpLine respiratory therapist Mark Courtney compares the process to a screen door with a spring, opening and shutting on its own. "Our lungs are springy, like the door. Over time, though, with asthma and especially with COPD, our lungs lose that springiness. They don't return to the same level as when you start breathing, and air gets trapped in our lungs," Courtney explains.

Over time, stale air builds up, leaving less room for the diaphragm to contract and bring in fresh oxygen. With the diaphragm not working to full capacity, the body starts to use other muscles in the neck, back and chest for breathing. This translates into lower oxygen levels, and less reserve for exercise and activity. If practiced regularly, breathing exercises can help rid the lungs of accumulated stale air, increase oxygen levels and get the diaphragm to return to its job of helping you breathe.

Pursed Lip Breathing

This exercise reduces the number of breaths you take and keeps your airways open longer. More air is able to flow in and out of your lungs so you can be more physically active. To practice it, simply breathe in through your nose and breathe out at least twice as long through your mouth, with pursed lips.

Pursed-lip breathing is a technique that helps people living with asthma or COPD when they experience shortness of breath.

It helps control shortness of breath and provides a quick and easy way to slow your pace of breathing, making each breath more effective.

When you feel short of breath, pursed-lip breathing helps get more oxygen into your lungs and calms you down, so you can better control your breath.

To practice pursed-lip breathing, sit down in a chair and relax your neck and shoulder muscles. Breathe in slowly through your nose, making sure to keep your mouth closed. Some people find it helpful to count to themselves: inhale... 1, 2.

Pucker or purse your lips as if you were going to whistle or gently blow out a candle. Then breathe out all of the air in your lungs through your mouth, slowly and gently, through pursed lips. Try to breathe out longer than you inhale. Some people find it helpful to count to themselves: exhale... 1, 2, 3, 4.

Continue to repeat this exercise of slowly inhaling through the nose and exhaling through pursed lips until your breathing becomes normal.

Pursed-lip breathing works by moving oxygen into your lungs and carbon dioxide out of your lungs. This technique helps to keep airways open longer so you can remove the air that is trapped in your lungs by slowing down your breathing rate and relieving shortness of breath.

If you continue to be short of breath, call 911 and seek immediate medical attention.

For more breathing techniques and information on living with COPD, asthma, and other lung diseases, visit the American Lung Association’s website at lung.org.

Belly Breathing, aka Diaphragmic Breathing

As with pursed lip breathing, start by breathing in through your nose. Pay attention to how your belly fills up with air. You can put your hands lightly on your stomach, or place a tissue box on it, so you can be aware of your belly rising and falling. Breathe out through your mouth at least two to three times as long as your inhale. Be sure to relax your neck and shoulders as you retrain your diaphragm to take on the work of helping to fill and empty your lungs.

Belly breathing, also called diaphragmatic breathing, is a breathing technique that helps individuals living with asthma or COPD when they experience shortness of breath.

This technique helps slow down your breathing so you can catch your breath and use less energy to breathe.

When you feel short of breath, belly breathing helps get more oxygen into your lungs and calms you down so you can better control your breath.

To practice belly breathing, sit down in a comfortable chair. Sit up straight and put your hands on your belly. Or, if it's more comfortable, you can lie down.

Close your mouth and take a slow, deep breath in through your nose. When you breathe in, you want your belly to fill with air and get bigger, like a balloon.

Blow all of the air out slowly and gently through pursed lips, as if you were blowing bubbles.

Concentrate on your breathing as you continue to breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth.

Repeat belly breathing for 5 to 10 minutes and relax. Just remember to keep your hands on your belly, as it helps you concentrate on the air going in and out.

The more you practice, the easier it will be to calm down and breathe more freely.

If you continue to be short of breath, call 911 and seek immediate medical attention.

For more breathing techniques and information on living with COPD, asthma, and other lung diseases, visit the American Lung Association’s website at lung.org.

Practice Makes Perfect

Courtney warns that although these exercises seem simple, they take some time to master. "You don't want to first try these exercises when you're short of breath," he says. "You want to try them when you're breathing OK, and then later on when you're more comfortable, you can use them when you're short of breath." Ideally, you should practice both exercises about 5 to 10 minutes every day.

What Is Pulmonary Rehabilitation?

Pulmonary rehabilitation is a program of education and exercise classes that teach you about your lungs and your disease, and how to exercise and be more active with less shortness of breath.
Learn More

Page last updated: July 25, 2025

Freedom From Smoking Clinic - Chardon, OH
Chardon, OH | Sep 10, 2025
Freedom From Smoking Clinic - Berkeley, CA
, | Sep 11, 2025