Breathing Exercises for COPD

If you’re living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the “simple” act of breathing can become a source of frustration, fear and fatigue.

Incorporating COPD breathing exercises into your daily life can help.

Respiratory therapist Scott Marlow, RRT, AE-C, shares three foundational breathing exercises for COPD symptom relief.

Why breathing exercises matter for COPD

Breathing exercises are an important part of a COPD self-care regimen because the disease causes air and mucus to get trapped in your lungs. Intentionally working out your respiratory system every day can make clearing the stale air and mucus a little easier.

“If you do breathing exercises regularly, it may ease everyday symptoms,” says Marlow. Symptoms may include:

• Chest tightness
• Shortness of breath
• Coughing
• Wheezing
• Congestion

“These exercises can make breathing more efficient, less exhausting and improve your daily life,” he adds.

Foundational breathing techniques

There are lots of breathing techniques out there that can help you relax and improve your COPD symptoms. You’ll work with your pulmonologist or your respiratory therapist to decide which are safest and most effective for you.

There are three specific exercises that pretty much everyone — including those without breathing problems — can benefit from trying.

Diaphragmatic breathing

Diaphragmatic breathing can improve your ability to take full breaths, without putting added strain on your chest muscles or worsening COPD symptoms.

“Over the years, people with COPD tend to use extra muscles in their chest to make up for a weak diaphragm,” Marlow reports. “Diaphragmatic breathing can help you breathe more efficiently and relieve shortness of breath and chest tightness.”

Here’s a fun bonus: It’s also relaxing!

“If you ever watch a baby breathe, you'll see their bellies moving up and down,” he illustrates. “That’s diaphragmatic breathing.”

Follow their lead with these simple steps:

1. Imagine you have a balloon in your stomach.
2. As you inhale, imagine drawing air into your belly, inflating the balloon. It may help to place your hand on your stomach, so you can feel it rise as you take a deep breath. Hold your breath for a second or two.
3. Exhale, deflating the balloon completely.
4. Take a total of 10 complete breaths.

If you find diaphragmatic breathing difficult, try doing it reclining or lying down. That way, you aren’t fighting gravity to take a deep breath.

Pursed lip breathing

Pursed lip breathing opens up some of the smaller airways in your lungs, allowing you to empty them more completely. It’s also helpful if you experience shortness of breath in the middle of a physical activity, like walking or cleaning the house.

“When you get short of breath, you start to breathe faster because you’re working a little harder,” Marlow explains. “Pursed lip breathing creates pressure that allows your airway to stay open longer and your lungs to empty more completely.”

To perform this exercise:

1. Inhale. Breathing in through your nose warms, moistens and filters the air, but you may breathe in through your mouth if you prefer. The breath itself can be deep or shallow.
2. Hold your breath for one or two seconds.
3. When you exhale, purse your lips like you’re blowing out a candle, letting the air out slowly and gently. Try exhaling for four or five seconds.
4. Do this for four or five minutes or until your shortness of breath subsides.

“I’m a big fan of pursed lip breathing,” Marlow shares. “If you practice it routinely, it can really help ease COPD symptoms.”

Huff coughing

Huff coughing is a coughing technique that gently breaks up mucus and other secretions that build up in your lungs when you have COPD. It’s also gentle and shouldn’t cause the kind of irritation that a coughing fit does.

“It’s part of an airway clearance routine,” Marlow explains. “The idea is not to wear yourself out coughing.”

Don’t like how coughing up mucus feels? You’re not alone! But if you have COPD, it’s important to do it anyway. If those secretions build up, they can block your airway and raise your risk of infection.

To complete a huff cough:

1. Inhale for one or two seconds.
2. Exhale slowly with your mouth wide open, the way you would if you were trying to fog up a mirror. Make sure to empty your lungs.
3. Repeat this process two or three times to draw any congestion in your lungs upwards. Don’t be alarmed if you hear the mucus rattling around in your lungs. That’s a sign that you’re getting things moving.
4. Cough once. If you’re lucky, you’ll be able to bring the offending secretions up and out.
5. Repeat as needed until you feel less congested.

How often to practice

Any time is a good time to practice COPD breathing exercises. They’re also worth doing when your symptoms are flaring up.

Marlow recommends practicing:

• Diaphragmatic breathing: Multiple times throughout the day
• Pursed-lip breathing: Any time — it can be helpful, no matter what you’re doing
• Huff coughing: Whenever your lungs feel congested or you’re coughing a lot

COPD breathing exercises can’t cure your condition. Think of them the same way you think about staying active. It’s a management technique that, done daily, can make it easier to cope with unpleasant symptoms.

“We’re just trying to make your breathing a little more efficient, trying to make your life a little better long-term,” Marlow emphasizes.

When to seek medical guidance

Making COPD breathing exercises a part of your daily routine doesn’t just improve your lung health — it can also help you spot exacerbations and flare-ups early. Contact your provider if:

• You aren’t sure you’re doing your exercises correctly: You may need pulmonary rehabilitation to improve your form or build up your lung capacity.
• The exercises are getting more difficult: You may be experiencing COPD complications if it’s hard to speed up or slow down your breathing, you can’t stop coughing long enough to complete your exercises, or you have to adjust your positioning to do them comfortably.
• You have new or worsening symptoms: Maybe you’re huff coughing a lot more than you used to. Or perhaps you’re finding yourself yawning and sighing more in order to take deep, full breaths. That could be a sign of a flare, an exacerbation or an infection.
• You’re experiencing side effects: Do you feel dizzy, sore, tired or short of breath after pulmonary exercises? Do they make you anxious or cause you to hyperventilate? These are all reasons to connect with your provider.

COPD flare-ups and exacerbations can be scary, but your healthcare team can support you through them. With their guidance and care, you can better manage your symptoms and improve your quality of life.