9 Breathing Exercises for Athletes That Boost Focus & Stamina

When athletes face high-pressure scenarios, like a championship game or a big race, it's normal for their minds to race. While many people focus on alleviating the stress and anxiety that come with this mental frenzy, they often overlook how it impacts their breathing. Rapid, shallow breathing can hinder performance by reducing stamina and increasing fatigue. Instead, athletes should aim to calm their minds and bodies to restore their breathing patterns to improve performance. Breathing exercises for athletes help improve athletic performance by enhancing focus, stamina, and recovery. If you're wondering how to increase athleticism, mastering proper breathing techniques is a crucial step. This article will provide valuable insights to help you reach your goals.
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Pliability's mobility app offers quick, effective breathing exercises to help athletes calm their nerves and improve performance. With Pliability, you'll improve athletic performance with simple breathing techniques you can implement immediately.

What is Breath Work and Can it Help Your Sports Performance?

Breath work is a fairly broad term that refers to any type of breathing exercise or technique that intentionally changes one's breathing pattern.

In yoga, breath work takes the form of pranayama. According to a 2020 randomized controlled clinical trial published in Frontiers in Psychiatry, the practice, which consists of a series of controlled breathing exercises, was found to reduce anxiety. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, or fMRI, researchers discovered that one month of pranayama practice led to significant changes in activity and connectivity of areas in the brain involved in processing emotions and anxiety. 

Breath Control as a Competitive Advantage

Breath work is also a key component of other mind-body activities, including Pilates and meditation. But breath work isn’t reserved for yoga and meditation buffs alike. It’s also used by athletes in various sports looking for an edge. 

‍“I would define ‘breath work’ more as ‘breath control,’ or being able to control one’s breath for athletic performance or competition,” says Todd Buckingham, Ph.D., lead exercise physiologist at Mary Free Bed Sports Rehabilitation Performance Lab. According to Buckingham, the ability to control your breath may be more important in some sports than others. 

When Every Breath Counts: Sports That Demand Precision Breathing

For example, free divers (people who dive underwater to varying depths without breathing equipment), swimmers, and athletes in target sports (such as archery or the biathlon) are examples of athletes whose performance relies heavily on breath control. 

For most athletes, the consequences of substandard breath control aren’t nearly as dramatic as they are for free divers, for example. Learning how to breathe when exercising or controlling your breath may benefit your sports and exercise performance.

A Refresher on How Breathing Works

Every breath launches a complex cycle that begins with the lungs. First, your lungs bring in oxygen. “From there, the oxygen must diffuse into the blood, and then be sent to the heart to be pumped out to the rest of the body,” says Buckingham. Once the oxygen is back in your blood, it gets transported to muscles to be converted into adenosine triphosphate, or ATP. For context, ATP is the energy source that powers your every move. 

While all this is happening, carbon dioxide (a colorless, odorless gas and waste product) is getting transported from your blood to your lungs to exhale. According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, this process is called gas exchange and is essential to life. The process is also essential to exercise and sports performance. When you exercise or when your muscles are at work, your body uses more oxygen and creates more carbon dioxide, according to a 2016 article in the journal Breathe. 

‍“Breathing well is important to meet the ventilatory demands of exercise, as this ultimately impacts the gas exchange in the lungs, which gets oxygen into the blood and removes carbon dioxide,” says Mitch Lomax, Ph.D., senior lecturer at the University of Portsmouth and a researcher who studies breathing limitations during exercise. Breath work may help you optimize this process depending on your goals or needs.

Benefits of Breath Work 

Breath Work Helps Calm Precompetition Jitters 

It’s common for some athletes to feel anxious before practice or competitions. Unfortunately, the physical response to performance anxiety (increased muscle tension, narrowed visual field, greater distractibility) increases an athlete’s odds of injury, note the authors of a 2017 paper in the Open Access Journal of Sports Medicine. Precompetition breath work can help ease anxiety. Breathing in and out through your nose (known as nasal breathing) can help calm down. 

According to Lomax, nasal breathing tends to be slower, which can lead to taking fuller, deeper breaths. Those fuller, deeper breaths stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system, the part of the nervous system responsible for carrying out basic bodily functions, promoting a calming effect. Box breathing, a form of deep yogic breathing, can help you relax even more by giving your brain something to focus on: counting. 

According to the Cleveland Clinic, this technique involves breathing in slowly for four counts, holding for four counts, breathing out for four counts, and pausing for four counts. Then, you repeat three times. Silently counting the beats can act as a meditation to calm the nervous system and keep you grounded in the present moment.

Breath Work Can Help You Swim Faster 

Swimming is one of those sports where breath work is especially critical for success. “You can’t simply breathe at will, the way you can when walking or running, but [you] must coordinate each inhalation with an arm stroke,” says Lomax. The more breaths you have to take, the more movement you may introduce to your stroke. 

For some, this added movement can slow your pace down, but this may not be the case for more seasoned swimmers. “This is why you will see 50-meter sprinters take one breath [or none] for the entirety of the event. Because the race is often decided by less than a tenth of a second, any extra time the swimmers can save is important,” says Buckingham.

Breath Work Can Help With Heavy Weight Lifting 

Breath control, particularly the Valsalva maneuver, can help when lifting heavy weights. This method involves holding your breath and then exhaling against a closed glottis (the part of the throat that consists of the vocal cords and the opening between them). “It’s almost like you’re breathing out, but no air escapes from your mouth,” says Buckingham. 

‍Here’s how you do it: 

• Start by closing your mouth, then pinch your nose so no air can escape your nostrils. 
• Then, press the air out like you’d blow up a balloon. 

This form of breath control increases the pressure in your abdominal wall, making your trunk more rigid and your spine more stable, according to a 2013 Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research review. “This enables you to lift heavier weights,” says Buckingham. Take care, “as the Valsalva maneuver can drastically increase systolic blood pressure and in some cases lead to fainting,” he warns. Only use it under the guidance of a certified personal trainer or licensed physical therapist. And steer clear if you have high blood pressure.

Breath Work Can Boost Endurance 

Strengthening your inspiratory muscles, the ones responsible for drawing air into your lungs, can significantly enhance endurance, reduce breathlessness, and improve overall performance in sports like: 

• Running
• Swimming
• Rowing
• Cycling

Inspiratory Muscle Training (IMT), especially when paired with warm-ups, has been shown in clinical trials to lower heart rate and blood lactate levels, making physical exertion feel easier.

In a 2011 study published in the Journal of Sports Sciences, athletes who practiced daily IMT for four weeks improved their performance across several endurance metrics, including running 16% farther before exhaustion and cutting cycling and rowing time trials by up to 115 and 36 seconds, respectively. 

IMT is commonly done using handheld pressure-threshold devices, which only allow airflow when sufficient effort is applied, training the diaphragm and rib cage muscles. Results typically appear within 4–6 weeks, though gains depend on initial respiratory strength. For those without access to equipment, alternatives like yoga breathing, singing, and even inflating balloons can offer some respiratory benefits, particularly for those with weaker pulmonary function.

Breath Work Improves Accuracy in Target Sports 

Breath control is paramount to success in target sports such as archery and the biathlon (a winter sport that combines cross-country skiing and rifle shooting). According to USA Shooting, breathing creates movement in the abdomen, chest, and shoulders. This movement causes the gun (or bow) to shift significantly, making it tough to take an accurate shot. 

‍“When success is determined in millimeters, the slightest misstep could be the difference between winning and losing,” says Buckingham. Therefore, athletes in these sports need to learn how to coordinate their breathing with their attempts. “These athletes will actually shoot in between heartbeats, which they control through their breathing,” says Buckingham.

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Why Address Breathing With Your Athletes?

Breathing: An Underappreciated Element of Athletic Performance

Athletic performance is often thought of in terms of strength, speed, and agility, but it’s time to add another factor: breathing. Breathing mechanics can make or break performance in high-stress moments and during recovery. Breathing exercises for athletes can help improve: 

• Performance
• Body mechanics
• Recovery

Regularly working with top athletes to monitor their airways and rapidly boost performance naturally, breathing coach Patrick McKeown says, “We need to treat breathing exercises the same as physical exercises. You need to dip your toe into the water and see how your body responds. You can always change the dose and duration of a breathing exercise to suit you. 

‍“Even the best athletes have dysfunctional breathing,” says McKeown, who often employ diaphragmatic breathing techniques to really bring the stomach into play when we breathe. But before we delve into some of these game-changing breathing exercises, our expert some of the most asked questions on the topic.

What is the Optimum Resting Breathing Rate?

Most people will say between 12 and 16 breaths per minute. But there's a lot that needs to be taken into account. 

• What about the air volume drawn into the lungs during each breath? 
• Or the health of a person? 

Studies have shown that 50% of people with lower back pain have disordered breathing, while 75% of those affected by anxiety and panic disorder have dysfunctional breathing. Dysfunctional breathing and dysfunctional movement go together. Even if you think your breathing is fine, it may not be. 

What Part of the Brain Controls Breathing?

Breathing is controlled in the brain stem, a stalk-like structure connecting the brain to the spinal cord. The primary drive to breathe is carbon dioxide, when many people think it’s oxygen. This is important because if you have an individual who is overly sensitive to the accumulation of carbon dioxide, that person will be breathing faster and harder during: 

• Sleep
• Rest
• Physical exercise

Can I Use Breathing to Destress During Sport?

Absolutely. A very simple tool to use if you’re feeling stressed and want your body to tell the brain that everything is okay, is to take a soft breath in through the nose and have a really slow, gentle breath out, according to how you feel, relative to how you normally breathe. Now your body is telling the brain that everything is good, and the brain will send calm signals to the body.

Common Issues Athletes Have with Breathing

Doctors and medications are still important, but there are also many ways we can help our athletes. Beyond this, there are common issues most athletes suffer from regarding breathing. 

Less Is More

Contrary to popular belief, breathing should occur less frequently than usual. Over-breathing causes an excess release of carbon dioxide, which negatively impacts the release of oxygen from the red blood cells to the working muscles. People think breathing more will increase the oxygen intake, yet our blood cells are typically near their capacity for oxygen molecules anyway. 

This is why breathing less often is better for athletes to perform at their best. Consider this if you don’t know whether your athletes are breathing correctly. Breathing cycles are most efficient with a 5.5-second inhale and a 5.5-second exhale, giving us an average of 5.5 breaths/minute. Have each athlete count their breaths per minute. I bet a lot will have more than 10 breaths per minute and certainly can benefit from breathing drills. 

Quiet, Not Loud

Along with breathing less often, breathing quieter will be more beneficial to your athletes. Taking a big, deep breath will affect the carbon dioxide pattern mentioned above. At rest, your athletes should barely be able to hear themselves breathe. Instructing athletes to take a large, deep breath is not the most efficient pattern to help them calm down and reset, despite the common advice coaches give their players. 

Use Your Nose to Breathe

Noses are meant for breathing. Mouths are meant for eating. A large reason is that nasal breathing will activate your parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) more effectively than mouth breathing. When you combine this with the proper use of your diaphragm muscle, you maximize the efficiency of the human body. 

Considering that we breathe every minute of every day, we want to ensure we aren’t in an elevated sympathetic state from how we breathe all the time. Nasal breathing for the win. 

Hands on Knees Is Okay

A 2019 study of recovery positions found athletes recovered better with their hands on their knees, rather than the typically coached behind-the-head position. Most athletes I know feel the knee position is more natural, and maybe we need to listen to this intuitive desire. 

There is no worse feeling than an athlete, especially with asthma, than a coach yelling at you to get your hands behind your head as you gasp for air. We can work on forgetting what the optics look like and focus on what science tells us is best for recovery. Would you rather look tougher and not perform well? I don’t think so. 

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The ONLY 9 Breathing Exercises for Athletes To Make You a Sporting Hero

1. Belly Breathing: A Simple Yet Effective Technique to Calm Nerves

Belly breathing is easy to do and very relaxing. Try this basic exercise anytime you need to relax or relieve stress. 

‍Here’s how:

• Sit or lie flat in a comfortable position.
• Put one hand on your belly below your ribs and the other on your chest.
• Take a deep breath through your nose, and let your belly push your hand out. Fill your belly up with your breath. Your chest should not move.
• Breathe out through your nose or your mouth, whichever is most comfortable. Feel the hand on your belly go in, and use it to gently push all the air out.
• Do this 5 to 10 times, taking time with each breath.
• Notice how you feel at the end of the exercise.

2. Box Breathing to Calm Nerves Pre-Competition

Box breathing, also known as tactical breathing, is a simple yet powerful technique used by Navy SEALs to maintain calm and focus under extreme stress. Designed for high-stakes situations, this method helps regulate the nervous system, improve mental clarity, and control physical responses to fatigue or anxiety. Its accessibility makes it ideal for athletes at any level, as it can be practiced during rest or mid-workout without special equipment.

The technique follows a four-part rhythm each phase lasting an equal duration:

• Inhale
• Hold
• Exhale
• Hold 

Mastering Box Breathing: From Calm Practice to High-Pressure Performance

Beginners can start with one-second intervals and gradually increase as comfort improves. Box breathing is practical, easy to learn, and versatile, making it a practical tool for enhancing performance and recovery.

‍Here’s how:

• Breathe in for one second.
• Hold the inhale for one second.
• Breathe out for one second.
• Then, hold the exhale for one second.
  
  

It’s usually best to learn and practice box breathing in a comfortable position, e.g., while sitting in a chair. Once mastered, use this technique in progressively more demanding situations so you can call on it when needed. Perform box breathing to calm your nerves before or during a stressful event, to help: 

• Focus your mind
• Boost your energy
• Promote recovery

3. One Nostril Breath to Calm the Mind

One nostril breath is adapted from a yoga practice called Nadi Shodhana Pranayama. It takes concentration, so it’s best used with kids older than ten. Make sure no one is holding their breath. Instruct them to keep breathing throughout the exercise even if they mess up. It can get quite silly, so invite fun and lightness to the practice. 

‍Here’s how:

• Have your child place their finger over the left nostril to close it, then breathe deeply through the right nostril.
• Switch your finger to close the right nostril as you breathe out of the left nostril.
• Once you have exhaled slowly, inhale through the left nostril (same nostril).
• Close the left nostril and exhale out of the right nostril.
• Inhale again through the right nostril.
• Keep slowly switching nostrils and repeat.
• Practice this exercise for no more than 2 minutes.
  

This is an excellent exercise when your kids feel: 

• Angry
• Anxious
• Tense

4. Wim Hof Method to Maximize Energy and Endurance

Wim Hof, a Dutch extreme athlete, credits this breathing method for his ability to withstand extreme temperatures and perform incredible feats of endurance. For example, Hof holds the Guinness World Record for the fastest half-marathon run barefoot on ice or snow, with a time of 2 hours, 16 minutes, and 34 seconds. 

According to Hof, his breathing method, which he usually pairs with ice baths and other cold therapy methods, also enhances immunity and could even prevent or treat cancer. While the Wim Hof method has numerous proven benefits, the cancer-fighting claims have yet to be substantiated. 

‍Try the Wim Hof method for yourself by following these steps:

• Sit or lie down in a comfortable position.
• Breathing through your nose or mouth, inhale deeply and exhale fully 30-40 times in a steady, rhythmic manner.
• Exhale fully and hold your breath for as long as comfortable, typically 1-2 minutes.
• Inhale deeply, filling the lungs, and hold your breath for another 10-15 seconds. Then release and return to normal breathing.
  

Use the Wim Hof method to maximize energy levels and endurance before intense training or athletic events. Alternatively, use it to enhance cognition, e.g., before an exam or to boost creativity.

5. Diaphragmatic Breathing for Improved Athletic Performance

While breathing is automatic, many people develop inefficient patterns, relying on shallow chest breathing rather than deeper diaphragmatic breathing. This shift may be partly cultural, many are conditioned to “hold in” the abdomen for appearance’s sake, discouraging the natural outward movement of the belly that comes with proper breathing. 

Chest breathing is often linked to elevated stress levels and reduced oxygen intake, which can lead to fatigue and diminished cardiorespiratory efficiency. Diaphragmatic breathing is making it a foundational skill for both physical and mental resilience that supports: 

• Relaxation
• Improves oxygen delivery
• Enhances athletic performance

Here’s how to do it:

• Sit or lie in a comfortable position.
• Place one hand on your chest and the other on your abdomen.
• Inhale deeply through your nose, allowing your abdomen to expand while keeping your chest relatively still.
• Exhale slowly through your mouth, feeling your abdomen fall while keeping your chest still.
• Repeat this process for 5-10 minutes, maintaining a steady, rhythmic breathing pattern.
  

Perform diaphragmatic breathing before intense workouts or events, whenever you feel stressed or tired, to enhance recovery after exercise, or to help you relax before sleep.

6. 4-7-8 Breathing to Improve Sleep Quality

Sleep is a critical pillar of athletic recovery and performance, yet many struggle to get enough restorative rest. Poor sleep can stall recovery, blunt training gains, and deplete athletes. While limiting caffeine, darkening the bedroom, and using white noise can help, breathwork, specifically the 4-7-8 technique, offers a simple, research-backed solution. 

This method involves inhaling for four seconds, holding for seven, and exhaling for eight. Despite its simplicity, it has been shown to help individuals fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer, making it a powerful tool for optimizing rest and recovery.

‍Here’s how to do it:

• Sit or lie in a comfortable position.
• Inhale through your nose for a slow count of four.
• Hold your breath for a slow count of seven.
• Exhale slowly through your mouth for a slow count of eight.
• Repeat 4-8 times or until you feel relaxed and drowsy.
  
  

Use 4-7-8 breathing to help you sleep or anytime you feel stressed and need to relax. This technique is not good before sports or exercise, as feeling sleepy probably won’t do much for your performance!

7. Breath Holds to Improve Athletic Performance

Breath holds are an excellent exercise you can add to a workout program. This drill doesn’t take very long, but it is incredibly effective. The idea is to increase carbon dioxide tolerance in your body to improve oxygen exchange between your red blood cells and your working muscles. 

Holding your breath for a long time is impressive, but we are more concerned with delaying the time it takes for your body to tell you a breath is needed. 

8. 7-11 Breathing Drill for Recovery

7-11 breathing drill is an excellent one to incorporate after a workout. When we work out or practice hard, the body is elevated into a sympathetic state. To maximize our recovery time, we need to transition into a parasympathetic state as quickly as possible. This drill speeds up the process if your athletes do it directly after a session or practice. 

With 7-11 breathing, both numbers stand for seconds. The “7” is for a seven-second inhale, while the “11” is for an 11-second exhale. Doing this for 3-5 minutes after a workout or practice can be a game-changer for your athletes. Once again, I prefer athletes to lie down and dim the lights and music if they can. If you don’t have time to do this after a workout or practice, instruct your athletes to get this drill in at home as soon as possible.

9. Yoga for Breathing Training

Breath work is a key component in any yoga style or practice. To become more aware of how your breath affects your practice, aim to follow the instructor’s breathing cues as closely as possible.

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