Don’t Forget to Breathe During Exercise

Breathing may seem like the easiest part of exercise, but when a movement gets challenging, many of us instinctively tense up and hold our breath. It can happen during a heavy lift, a difficult balance exercise, or even while concentrating on something new.

During strength training, a helpful guideline is to exhale during the effort and inhale during the easier part of the movement. For example, breathe out as you stand up from a squat, push a weight overhead, or perform a biceps curl. Breathe in as you slowly return to the starting position.

Why Does Breathing Matter?

Holding your breath while exerting yourself can cause a temporary spike in blood pressure. Breathing steadily helps reduce unnecessary strain and encourages you to move at a controlled pace rather than rushing through an exercise.

Your breathing can also tell you something about how you're moving. If you notice yourself holding your breath, gripping tightly, or tensing your shoulders, take it as a reminder to slow down, adjust the resistance if needed, or reset before continuing.

This is especially helpful when learning a new exercise. You don't need to coordinate every breath perfectly with every movement. The most important thing is to keep breathing rather than holding your breath through the effort.

Small habits like this can make exercise safer, more comfortable, and more effective!