Belly breathing: how to do diaphragmatic breathing
Belly breathing, or diaphragmatic breathing, is the base most other breathing exercises build on. You let the diaphragm do the work, so the belly rises and the chest stays quiet.
In short
- Lie on your back with knees bent, one hand on your upper chest and one just below your ribs.
- Breathe in slowly through your nose so the belly hand rises while the chest hand stays almost still. Breathe out slowly through pursed lips.
- Start with 5 to 10 minutes, three or four times a day. It can feel tiring at first.
- Small studies link it to lower stress, but the overall evidence is limited. It is not a treatment on its own.
What is happening
The diaphragm is the dome-shaped muscle under your lungs. When it tightens, it moves down and makes room for air, and your belly rises. When you breathe with your diaphragm, most of the movement happens there, and the upper chest stays fairly still. More about the mechanics in how breathing works.
How to do it lying down
This is the easiest way to learn, because you can feel the movement with your hands.
- Lie on your back with your knees bent and your head supported. A pillow under your knees can help.
- Put one hand on your upper chest and the other just below your rib cage.
- Breathe in slowly through your nose, so that the air goes deep into your belly. The hand on your belly should rise, while the hand on your chest stays as still as possible.
- Breathe out slowly through pursed lips and tighten your stomach muscles a little to help the air out.
Sitting down
Once it feels natural lying down, try it in a chair. Sit with your knees bent and relax your shoulders, head and neck. Keep the same hand positions and breathe the same way.
How often
Cleveland Clinic suggests starting with 5 to 10 minutes, about three or four times a day, and building up slowly. Harvard Health suggests 5 to 10 minutes, several times a day if you can. At first it may feel tiring. Once it is easy, you can place a light book on your belly to make the muscle work a little more.
When stress hits during the day, you do not need a full session. Harvard Health suggests simply taking three slow, controlled belly breaths.
Make the breath out longer
The American Lung Association suggests breathing out two to three times as long as you breathe in. That turns belly breathing into a slow, calming rhythm. In the app, the long exhale (in for 4, out for 8) and slow 4-6 both work well with belly breathing.
What it may help with
Cleveland Clinic lists relaxation, a lower heart rate and blood pressure, slower breathing and less effort needed to breathe. It names stress, anxiety, asthma and COPD as conditions where it is used, but says it should not be the only treatment, and people with these conditions should ask their doctor first.
The research is encouraging but thin:
- In a study of 40 healthy employees, 20 sessions of slow belly breathing over 8 weeks lowered the stress hormone cortisol compared with a group that did no training. Attention improved in both groups, and the groups were not assigned at random.
- A 2019 review found only three studies on belly breathing and stress in adults. All three reported less stress, but they were small and too different to combine.
- A 2020 review called its clinical usefulness unclear, because most studies were of poor quality, and noted that in severe COPD it can even make breathlessness worse.
Common mistakes
- Pushing the belly out with force. Let the breath fill you; the belly moves because the diaphragm moves.
- Breathing in big and fast. Slow, ordinary-sized breaths are the point.
- Learning it while you are out of breath. Practise when you are calm, so it is there when you need it.
- Using it instead of treatment for asthma, COPD or anxiety. Ask your doctor how it fits with your care.
Try it
- Slow 4-64-6 · 5 minIn for four, out for six. A gentle rhythm for winding down in the evening.
- Resonance breathing5.5-5.5 · 5 minAbout five and a half breaths a minute, in and out evenly. A slow, steady rhythm for focus.
Hold My Chaos guides you through it with a calm visual and gentle haptics. Coming soon to iPhone.
More guides
- Alternate nostril breathing: how to do it
- Humming breath (bhramari): how to do it, what is known
- Pursed-lip breathing: how and when to use it
Sources
- Cleveland Clinic: Diaphragmatic breathing
- Harvard Health Publishing: Learning diaphragmatic breathing
- American Lung Association: Breathing exercises
- Harvard Health Publishing: Ease anxiety and stress: take a (belly) breather
- Ma et al. (2017): The effect of diaphragmatic breathing on attention, negative affect and stress in healthy adults. Frontiers in Psychology
- Hopper et al. (2019): Effectiveness of diaphragmatic breathing for reducing physiological and psychological stress in adults. JBI Database of Systematic Reviews
- Hamasaki (2020): Effects of diaphragmatic breathing on health: a narrative review. Medicines
These guides explain, they do not diagnose or treat. If your symptoms are new, severe or worrying, talk to a doctor. In an emergency, call your local emergency number (112 anywhere in the EU).