Real‑life examples of breathing exercises during workouts

Simple examples of breathing exercises during workouts you can use today

Let’s start where most people actually need help: what does this look like in real life? Here are several real examples of breathing exercises during workouts that fit into everyday routines, not just perfect Instagram workouts.

Think of these as “plug‑and‑play” patterns. You can drop them into walking, lifting, cycling, or yoga without changing your whole training plan.

Example of box breathing before you even start moving

One of the best examples of breathing exercises during workouts doesn’t happen mid‑squat or mid‑sprint. It happens before you start.

Box breathing is a favorite among athletes, military personnel, and people who need to stay calm under pressure. It’s simple:

• Inhale through your nose for 4 seconds.
• Hold for 4 seconds.
• Exhale through your mouth for 4 seconds.
• Hold empty for 4 seconds.

Repeat for 4–8 rounds while you’re sitting on a bench, standing by the treadmill, or waiting for a class to begin.

Why it works: Research on slow, controlled breathing suggests it can reduce anxiety and help balance your nervous system before exercise, so you’re not going into your workout already wired and tense. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) notes that breathwork practices can support stress reduction and relaxation.²

Use this example of a breathing exercise during workouts when you notice you’re rushing into the gym, scrolling your phone between sets, or feeling scattered after work.

Rhythmic breathing during cardio: syncing steps and breaths

Cardio is where most people feel their breathing “get away” from them. Instead of fighting your breath, you can sync it with your movement.

Here’s a real example for walking or light jogging:

• Inhale through your nose for 3 steps.
• Exhale through your mouth for 3 steps.

As your pace increases, you might shift to a 2‑step inhale, 2‑step exhale pattern.

For moderate running, many runners use a 3:2 pattern:

• Inhale for 3 footstrikes.
• Exhale for 2 footstrikes.

This helps distribute impact stress more evenly and can make your breathing feel smoother instead of choppy. While the exact ratio isn’t magic, rhythmic breathing helps you avoid shallow, panicky breaths and keeps your focus on something you can control.

If you’re doing cycling or an elliptical workout, replace steps with pedal strokes. Inhale for 4 pedal strokes, exhale for 4. Adjust based on how intense the workout feels.

This is one of the best examples of breathing exercises during workouts for people who tend to overthink their cardio or feel anxious when their heart rate rises.

Strength training example: exhale on effort, inhale on the way down

If you’ve ever held your breath through a heavy lift and then stood up seeing stars, you’ve already met the wrong kind of breathing pattern.

A simple, safe example of breathing during strength workouts looks like this:

• Inhale during the lowering or easier phase.
• Exhale during the lifting or harder phase.

For a squat:

• Inhale as you lower your hips.
• Exhale as you stand up.

For a push‑up:

• Inhale as you bend your elbows and lower.
• Exhale as you push the floor away.

For a dumbbell row:

• Inhale as you let the weight lower toward the floor.
• Exhale as you pull the weight toward your body.

This example of a breathing exercise during workouts does three helpful things:

• Keeps your blood pressure from spiking unnecessarily.
• Helps you brace your core when you need it most.
• Gives you a rhythm so you’re not rushing through reps.

There are advanced techniques like the Valsalva maneuver (briefly holding your breath during heavy lifts), but for most people—especially anyone managing blood pressure or stress—this inhale‑lower, exhale‑lift pattern is the better default. Mayo Clinic specifically warns that holding your breath during strength training can lead to dangerous blood pressure spikes.³

4‑7‑8 calming breath during rest periods

Let’s talk recovery between sets. Most people scroll their phones and wait for the timer. You can turn that “dead space” into a stress‑management tool.

A widely used example of breathing exercises during workouts is the 4‑7‑8 breath, popularized by Dr. Andrew Weil and often used for relaxation and sleep. You can adapt it between sets:

• Inhale through your nose for 4 seconds.
• Hold for 7 seconds.
• Exhale through your mouth for 8 seconds, like you’re slowly blowing out a candle.

Do 2–3 rounds during your rest. You’ll likely feel your shoulders drop and your jaw unclench.

Why it helps during workouts:

• Keeps your nervous system from staying stuck in “fight or flight.”
• Helps you mentally reset between sets, instead of carrying frustration from the last set into the next.
• Can lower perceived stress, even during high‑intensity sessions.

In 2024, you’ll see versions of this all over fitness apps and wearables, because slow exhale‑focused patterns are being built into recovery prompts and cool‑down suggestions. The pattern may vary, but the idea—longer, slower exhale to signal safety—is the same.

Diaphragmatic breathing as a warm‑up for your core

If your “core work” is just crunches and planks, you’re leaving a lot on the table. Your diaphragm is part of your core system, and training it can make your workouts feel more stable and powerful.

Here’s an example of a breathing exercise during workouts that fits perfectly into your warm‑up:

1. Lie on your back with knees bent and feet on the floor, or sit tall on a bench.
2. Place one hand on your chest and one on your belly.
3. Inhale through your nose for about 3–4 seconds, letting your belly rise into your hand.
4. Exhale through pursed lips for 4–6 seconds, letting your belly fall.

Aim for 6–10 breaths.

This diaphragmatic pattern has been studied for its effects on stress and emotional regulation. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health notes that deep breathing exercises can help activate the body’s relaxation response and may improve emotional well‑being.⁴

After a few weeks of practicing this, many people notice they brace better during squats, deadlifts, and even everyday tasks like picking up groceries.

Tempo breathing during high‑intensity intervals

High‑intensity interval training (HIIT) can feel like your lungs are on fire if your breathing is all over the place. Instead of gasping randomly, you can use tempo breathing.

Here’s a real example of breathing exercises during workouts with intervals:

During the work interval (say 30 seconds of fast cycling or sprinting):

• Focus on steady, strong exhales through your mouth.
• Let the inhale be a natural rebound through your nose or mouth.

During the rest interval (30–60 seconds of easy movement):

• Shift to nasal breathing only, if possible.
• Try a 3‑second inhale, 4‑second exhale pattern.

This teaches your body to recover faster between intervals and keeps your mind from spiraling into “I can’t do this” mode. Many endurance and CrossFit athletes now use nasal‑only breathing during warm‑ups and lower‑intensity parts of workouts to build tolerance and improve CO₂ handling.

You don’t need to be hardcore about it. Think of this as an experiment: can you keep your breathing smooth instead of chaotic as the intensity rises? That mindset alone reduces stress.

Cooling down with a 1:2 exhale‑focused pattern

Your workout isn’t really done when the last rep is finished. Your nervous system needs a signal that it’s safe to shift from “go” to “recover.”

A simple example of a breathing exercise during workouts—specifically at the end—is the 1:2 ratio:

• Inhale for 3 seconds.
• Exhale for 6 seconds.

Or, if that feels too long, try 2 seconds in, 4 seconds out. The key is that the exhale is about twice as long as the inhale.

This longer exhale stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, the “rest and digest” side. A 2023 review on slow breathing and health outcomes highlighted that extended exhalations can support heart rate variability (a marker of stress resilience) and relaxation.⁵

You can do this while walking slowly on a treadmill, stretching on a mat, or just sitting on a bench at the end of your session.

This is one of the best examples of breathing exercises during workouts for people who say, “I can’t relax after the gym; I feel wired for hours.”

How to choose the best examples of breathing exercises during your workouts

With all these patterns, you might be wondering: Which one should I use? Think of breathing exercises as tools in a small toolbox, not rules you have to follow perfectly.

Here’s how to match the examples of breathing exercises during workouts to what you’re doing and how you’re feeling:

• Feeling anxious before a workout? Use box breathing or 4‑7‑8 for a few minutes.
• Doing steady cardio? Try rhythmic step‑based breathing (3:3 or 2:2).
• Lifting weights? Use the exhale‑on‑effort pattern and add a few diaphragmatic breaths in your warm‑up.
• Doing HIIT? Focus on strong, steady exhales during work and nasal, slower breathing during rest.
• Need to unwind after? Use the 1:2 inhale‑exhale pattern for 3–5 minutes.

You don’t need all of them at once. Start with one example of a breathing exercise during workouts this week. Practice it until it feels natural, then layer in another.

And if you forget mid‑set? That’s normal. Just pick up the pattern again when you remember. Breathing practice is more like learning a musical instrument than flipping a switch.

2024–2025 trends: breathwork is finally showing up in fitness, not just yoga

If it feels like everyone is suddenly talking about breathwork, you’re not imagining it. In 2024–2025, a few trends are making these examples of breathing exercises during workouts even more popular:

• Wearables and apps now track breathing rate and prompt you with guided breathing during recovery. Many devices use exhale‑focused patterns similar to the 1:2 ratio or box breathing.
• Hybrid classes (think strength + mindfulness) are building breathing cues directly into programming. Instead of “3 sets of 10 squats,” you’ll hear “3 sets of 10 squats, exhale on the way up, deep breath between sets.”
• Mental health and fitness integration is stronger than ever. Organizations like the CDC highlight physical activity as a key factor for mental health and stress reduction,¹ and breathing bridges that gap by giving you a mental anchor during effort.

The trend is clear: breathing is no longer treated as an afterthought. It’s part of how people manage stress, improve performance, and make workouts feel more sustainable instead of punishing.

FAQs about breathing during workouts

What are some simple examples of breathing exercises during workouts for beginners?

If you’re just starting, keep it very simple. Two great beginner‑friendly examples of breathing exercises during workouts are:

• Exhale on effort during strength training (inhale as you lower, exhale as you lift).
• 3‑step inhale, 3‑step exhale during walking to keep your breathing steady.

Add a few minutes of 1:2 breathing (short inhale, longer exhale) at the end of your workout, and you’ve already built a solid breathing foundation.

What is an example of a breathing pattern I can use if I get out of breath easily?

Try this example of a breathing pattern when you feel winded:

• Slow down your pace slightly.
• Inhale through your nose for 2–3 seconds.
• Exhale through pursed lips for 4–5 seconds, like you’re blowing out air through a straw.

This longer exhale can help you regain a sense of control and reduce that panicky, “I can’t catch my breath” feeling.

Are these breathing exercises safe if I have high blood pressure or anxiety?

For most people, gentle breathing exercises are considered safe and can even help with stress and blood pressure management. The American Heart Association and Mayo Clinic both encourage not holding your breath during strength training and using controlled breathing to support healthy blood pressure.⁶

If you have high blood pressure, heart conditions, or significant anxiety, avoid extreme breath holds and very forceful breathing. When in doubt, talk with your healthcare provider before adding more intense breathwork.

How long does it take to see benefits from these examples of breathing exercises during workouts?

Some benefits—like feeling calmer or more focused—can show up in your very first session. Others, like better endurance or improved core stability from diaphragmatic breathing, may take a few weeks of consistent practice.

Think of it like strength training for your breathing muscles and nervous system. You wouldn’t expect one workout to transform your legs; breathing is the same. Practice a little, often.

Do I have to breathe through my nose, or is mouth breathing okay during workouts?

Nasal breathing is great for lower‑intensity work and recovery intervals because it can help filter and warm the air and may support better CO₂ tolerance. But during harder efforts, many people naturally switch to a mix of nose and mouth.

You don’t need to force pure nasal breathing at all costs. Use it when you can (warm‑ups, easy cardio, cool‑downs) and allow mouth breathing when the intensity genuinely demands it.

If you remember nothing else, remember this: your breath is not just background noise during exercise. It’s a tool. Start with one or two of these real‑world examples of breathing exercises during workouts, practice them consistently, and let your breath turn your workouts into a calmer, more focused part of your day instead of another source of stress.