5 Breathing Exercises to Support Lung Health and Everyday Well-Being

Healthy breathing isn’t just about getting oxygen in and carbon dioxide out — it affects energy, stress, sleep, posture, and even how well your lungs expand over time. Simple breathing exercises can help strengthen respiratory muscles, improve airflow, and support overall lung function.

Below are five research-backed breathing techniques that can be safely practiced at home to support lung health and everyday wellness.

1. Diaphragmatic Breathing

Diaphragmatic breathing, also called “belly breathing," trains your diaphragm—the main muscle involved in breathing—to do more of the work.

How it helps:

• Research shows diaphragmatic breathing can improve lung efficiency, reduce breathing effort, and support relaxation in people with chronic respiratory conditions, including COPD.

• It may lower heart rate and improve oxygenation by encouraging deeper, slower breaths.

How to do it:

1. Sit or lie down with one hand on your chest and one on your belly

2. Inhale through your nose so your belly rises more than your chest

3. Exhale slowly through pursed lips

4. Repeat for 5–10 minutes

Studies from the Journal of Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation and the National Institutes of Health show this technique can help conserve energy and improve breathing control, especially for people with chronic lung disease.

2. Pursed-Lip Breathing

Pursed-lip breathing is a simple technique used widely in pulmonary rehabilitation programs.

How it helps:

• It creates back-pressure in the airways, known as positive expiratory pressure, which helps keep airways open as you breathe out.

• This reduces breathlessness and helps clear trapped air—especially helpful for people with COPD or asthma.

How to do it:

1. Inhale slowly through your nose for 2 counts

2. Purse your lips (like blowing out a candle)

3. Exhale through your pursed lips for 4 counts—twice as long as you inhaled

The American Lung Association notes that this technique can improve ventilation, decrease shortness of breath, and support better oxygen exchange.

3. Box Breathing

Box breathing, also called four-square breathing, regulates your breathing rhythm and activates the body’s relaxation response.

How it helps:

• Slow, structured breathing can improve heart rate variability, reduce stress, and promote a sense of calm—important for overall respiratory control.

• Studies on paced breathing show it enhances focus and reduces anxiety in both healthy adults and patients with chronic illness.

How to do it:

1. Inhale through your nose for 4 seconds

2. Hold for 4 seconds

3. Exhale for 4 seconds

4. Hold again for 4 seconds

Repeat for several cycles. This practice is used by clinicians, athletes, and even military training programs for grounding and lung control.

4. Deep Breathing With Lateral Rib Expansion

This exercise encourages the lower and side portions of your lungs to expand—areas that often stay underused, especially with shallow or upper-chest breathing.

How it helps:

• Deep, slow breaths increase alveolar expansion (the tiny air sacs that exchange oxygen).

• Studies show that lung expansion exercises may help improve chest wall mobility and overall lung volume.

How to do it:

1. Place your hands on the sides of your ribcage

2. Inhale deeply through your nose, aiming to widen your ribs outward

3. Exhale slowly through pursed lips

4. Repeat 10 times

Respiratory therapists often teach this during recovery from respiratory illness or surgery, but it’s beneficial for everyday lung conditioning, too.

5. Huff Coughing

While not a “breathing exercise” in the meditative sense, huff coughing is an important airway-clearance technique that protects lung health—especially for people with conditions that cause mucus buildup.

How it helps:

• It moves mucus from smaller airways to larger ones without the force of a hard cough.

• Studies in pulmonary rehabilitation programs show that huff coughing improves airway clearance for people with COPD, bronchiectasis, and chronic bronchitis.

How to do it:

1. Sit upright

2. Take a medium breath in

3. Keeping your mouth open, force the air out with a sharp “ha” sound, like fogging a mirror

4. Repeat 2–3 times, then follow with a regular cough if needed

This method reduces airway collapse and strain while still helping clear secretions.

Putting These Techniques Into Your Daily Routine

Breathing exercises work best when practiced consistently—even just 5–10 minutes a day. They can support:

• Better airflow

• Improved lung capacity

• Reduced breathlessness

• Stronger respiratory muscles

• Lower stress and better energy

• More efficient oxygen use

If you have a chronic lung condition such as asthma, COPD, pulmonary fibrosis, or sleep-related breathing disorders, talk with your clinician or respiratory therapist about which exercises are safest for you.

Breathing is automatic, but strengthening how you breathe can make a measurable difference in your lung health and overall well-being. At The Moxie Health Group, we empower patients with simple tools and guidance to support healthier lungs every day. Learn more at themoxiehealthgroup.com.