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Breathing exercises

Breathing exercises has been studied in 20 papers since 2016: 11 trials and 1 observational study in people, 6 reviews; 5 in the past year. The newest paper, Sep 21, 2026: “A study of music-sign language synesthetic training for maintaining cognitive and hand function in older adults”.

Intervention

20 papers study it10 findingsUpdated

MeSH

1 new paper in 30 daysSee all 20

“The incidence of postoperative pulmonary complications was lower in breathing exercises group (17/132 [12.9%] vs. 43/132 [32.6%], p < 0.001).”
Implementation of perioperative breathing exercises and its effect on postoperative pulmonary complications and long-term prognosis in elderly patients undergoing laparoscopic colorectal surgery: A randomized controlled trialClinical rehabilitation2022doi:10.1177/02692155221097762

None of its findings points the other way.

C, W, M, H: cells, worms or flies, mice, humans. Dark: independent labs found the same change there. Light: one lab or one study. Outline: nothing yet.

Labs are independent when their papers share no last author and no institution.

  • 3 independent labs in 3 countries
  • Funder: University of Phayao
  • Human trial11
  • Humans1
  • In silico1

Studies in people

4 studies gave breathing exercises to people and measured what changed.

What did studies of Breathing exercises find?

11

Studies of Breathing exercises measured 11 outcomes; the most studied are blood pressure (2 studies), body mass index (1) and oxidative stress and ROS signaling (1).

Blood pressure

downin humans2

2 studies

  1. Breathing exercises decrease blood pressure in humans (p < 0.05).

    “We found significantly (p < 0.05) higher values of BMI and BP phenotypes in group 1 as compared to group 2.”

    Humanscompared to non-practitionersmales

    Influence of Regular Breathing Exercises on Blood Pressure: A Cross-Sectional Study on Young Male Indian Population

    Cureus

  2. Breathing exercises decrease blood pressure in humans.

    “The exercise group showed significant reductions in cardiovascular parameters (systolic and diastolic blood pressure, pulse pressure, mean arterial pressure, and heart rate).”

    Human triallong COVID8 weeksn = 30

    Therapeutic Effects of Slow Deep Breathing on Cardiopulmonary Function, Physical Performance, Biochemical Parameters, and Stress in Older Adult Patients with Long COVID in Phayao, Thailand

    Annals of geriatric medicine and research

More on Blood pressure

Body mass index

downin humans1

1 study

  1. Breathing exercises decrease body mass index in humans (p < 0.05).

    “We found significantly (p < 0.05) higher values of BMI and BP phenotypes in group 1 as compared to group 2.”

    Humanscompared to non-practitionersmales

    Influence of Regular Breathing Exercises on Blood Pressure: A Cross-Sectional Study on Young Male Indian Population

    Cureus

More on Body mass index

Oxidative stress and ROS signaling

downin humans1

1 study

  1. Breathing exercises decrease oxidative stress and ROS signaling in humans.

    “Improvements were also observed in HRV, biochemical markers (fasting blood sugar and lipid profile), oxidative stress markers (catalase, superoxide dismutase, and malondialdehyde), and stress levels.”

    Human triallong COVID8 weeksn = 30

    Therapeutic Effects of Slow Deep Breathing on Cardiopulmonary Function, Physical Performance, Biochemical Parameters, and Stress in Older Adult Patients with Long COVID in Phayao, Thailand

    Annals of geriatric medicine and research

More on Oxidative stress and ROS signaling

Physical function

upin humans1

1 study

  1. Breathing exercises improve physical function in humans.

    “Additionally, RMS, PFT, and physical performance showed significant increases.”

    Human triallong COVID8 weeksn = 30

    Therapeutic Effects of Slow Deep Breathing on Cardiopulmonary Function, Physical Performance, Biochemical Parameters, and Stress in Older Adult Patients with Long COVID in Phayao, Thailand

    Annals of geriatric medicine and research

Quality of life

upin humans1

1 study

  1. Breathing exercises improve quality of life in humans (ES = 0.475, p < .001).

    “Quality of life also significantly improved in the intervention group (p < .001, ES = 0.475).”

    Human trialoverweight6 weeksfemalesn = 40

    Six Weeks to Wellness: The Role of Breathing Exercises Based on Motor Development Pattern in Improving Fitness and Quality of Life in Overweight Elderly Women

    Biological research for nursing

Flexibility

upin humans1

1 study

  1. Breathing exercises improve flexibility in humans (ES = 0.652, p < .001).

    “upper body flexibility (p < .001, ES = 0.652), lower body flexibility (p < .001, ES = 0.538)”

    Human trialoverweight6 weeksfemalesn = 40

    Six Weeks to Wellness: The Role of Breathing Exercises Based on Motor Development Pattern in Improving Fitness and Quality of Life in Overweight Elderly Women

    Biological research for nursing

Muscle strength

upin humans1

1 study

  1. Breathing exercises improve muscle strength in humans (ES = 0.538, p < .001).

    “upper body strength (p < .001, ES = 0.538), lower body strength (p < .001, ES = 0.538), and dynamic balance (p < .001, ES = 0.475) compared to the control group.”

    Human trialoverweight6 weeksfemalesn = 40

    Six Weeks to Wellness: The Role of Breathing Exercises Based on Motor Development Pattern in Improving Fitness and Quality of Life in Overweight Elderly Women

    Biological research for nursing

Cardiovascular fitness

upin humans1

1 study

  1. Breathing exercises improve cardiovascular fitness in humans (ES = 0.652, p < .001).

    “The intervention group showed significant improvements in cardiovascular fitness (p < .001, ES = 0.652)”

    Human trialoverweight6 weeksfemalesn = 40

    Six Weeks to Wellness: The Role of Breathing Exercises Based on Motor Development Pattern in Improving Fitness and Quality of Life in Overweight Elderly Women

    Biological research for nursing

Forced vital capacity

upin humans1

1 study

  1. Breathing exercises improve forced vital capacity in humans.

    “There was a clinically significant improvement of FVC and FEV1 for the EG.”

    Human trial8 weeksn = 30

    Clinical Changes of Respiratory Parameters in Institutionalized Older Adults after a Physiotherapy Program Combining Respiratory and Musculoskeletal Exercises

    Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland)

More on Forced vital capacity

Length of stay

downin humans1

1 study

  1. Breathing exercises decrease length of stay in humans (p < 0.050).

    “Patients who received breathing exercises had shorter length of stay and lower hospitalization costs (p < 0.050).”

    Human trialn = 264

    Implementation of perioperative breathing exercises and its effect on postoperative pulmonary complications and long-term prognosis in elderly patients undergoing laparoscopic colorectal surgery: A randomized controlled trial

    Clinical rehabilitation

All 11

What is Breathing exercises linked with?

1

Studies link Breathing exercises with 1 measure, most often postoperative pulmonary complications (1 study).

Postoperative pulmonary complications

downin humans1

1 study

  1. Breathing exercises lower the risk of postoperative pulmonary complications in humans (12.9% vs. 32.6%, p < 0.001).

    “The incidence of postoperative pulmonary complications was lower in breathing exercises group (17/132 [12.9%] vs. 43/132 [32.6%], p < 0.001).”

    Human trial90 daysn = 264

    Implementation of perioperative breathing exercises and its effect on postoperative pulmonary complications and long-term prognosis in elderly patients undergoing laparoscopic colorectal surgery: A randomized controlled trial

    Clinical rehabilitation

More on Postoperative pulmonary complications

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