Breathing control exercises are a great way to help your clients relax and feel more calm. These simple exercises are easy to practice and take just a few minutes each day.

Start by lying down and placing one hand on your stomach and the other hand below your rib cage. Inhale deeply through your nose, feeling your stomach move out and then exhale using pursed lips.

Deep Breathing

While short, shallow breaths into the chest can make us feel anxious and zap energy, deep breathing exercises help you breathe more deeply Simple Breathing Exercises. This type of exercise helps increase the size of your lungs to allow more oxygen in, which can lower stress and anxiety levels and boosts endorphins, the body’s natural feel-good chemicals.

Sit in a comfortable position — on the floor or in a chair — and observe your natural breath for several cycles. Then, with your next inhalation, imagine intentionally sending the air toward your navel by allowing the abdomen to expand and rise freely. Then, exhale slowly by first letting your collarbone and shoulders drop, relaxing the ribcage, and finally releasing the belly. Repeat this cycle for a few minutes.

This is a low-risk technique that can be done anywhere, but if you have a lung condition, check with your doctor before trying this or any other breath control exercise. Some people may experience light-headedness when they begin this type of breathing, which is normal.

Short Breaths

Breathing in and out is a process that normally happens without any thought. It involves oxygenating the blood and releasing carbon dioxide. Breath control exercises help people feel more relaxed and calm.

This exercise can be performed in a chair or on the floor. Begin with a count of six seconds. Gently breathe in through the nose, filling the abdomen, then exhale with a “whoosh” sound to a count of eight. Repeat the breath for up to 10 minutes.

Over time, stale air builds up in the lungs, limiting the diaphragm’s ability to take fresh oxygen in. People then start to use other muscles in the chest, back and neck to breathe. This takes up energy and leaves less reserve for exercising or activity.

This breathing exercise can be a good way to get rid of this stale air and encourage the diaphragm to return to working at full capacity. To make this more effective, it’s best to practice the exercise when a person doesn’t feel short of breath.

Exhaling Through Your Mouth

Breathing is a natural process that most people don’t give much thought to, but when you practice controlled breathing it can greatly improve your vocal capabilities. Breathing exercises can also help control anxiety, and there are many different techniques to try.

One of the easiest is to inhale through your mouth, then exhale through your nose for a count of four. Feel your belly and ribs expand as you inhale and contract during the exhale. Repeat as needed.

Another technique is to take a deep breath through your mouth and then breathe out slowly with pursed lips, creating a long, loud sound like a “whoosh.” This helps to open the lungs up and allows for deeper breathing. It’s especially beneficial for singers who have a condition that makes it difficult to use the lungs, such as asthma or COPD. It may also help prevent throat irritation and coughing during singing. This exercise can be done sitting or lying down.

Inhaling Through Your Nose

Breathing through the nose helps filter out dust and allergens, boosts oxygen uptake, and humidifies the air you breathe. It can also help prevent sleep apnea and strengthen the immune system. Place one hand on your belly and another on your chest, then inhale passively through your mouth and exhale forcefully through your nose. You should notice your belly hand move up and down, while the chest hand does not.

Inhaling through the nose releases nitric oxide, which widens blood vessels and increases blood flow to the lungs. Nitric oxide also aids in the regulation of oxygen and carbon dioxide levels throughout the body.

Other breathing exercises include alternate nostril breathing (known as nadishodhana in yoga), equal breathing, and pursed-lip breathing. In addition to promoting relaxation, these breathing exercises can help improve lung function and increase respiratory muscle strength. They can also assist in decreasing anxiety and stress, and boosting energy. In addition, they can improve digestion and help reduce high blood pressure.