Breathing exercises
Free, guided breathing exercises that pace every inhale, hold and exhale with a calm visual guide and optional sound. Pick a technique — box breathing, 4-7-8, coherent breathing and more — or build your own, and start a session in one tap. No account, no streak, works offline.
Stressed, wired, or can't switch off? Pick a technique on the right and press start — or jump straight to a guide below.
The technique library
Each technique opens a guided session preset and ready to start. Not sure where to begin? Box breathing for focus, 4-7-8 for sleep, or the physiological sigh for fast stress relief.
Calm down
Slow the system, ease stress, wind down for sleep- 4-7-8 breathing4 · 7 · 8
Wind down for sleep or take the edge off anxiety.
≈ 3.2 breaths/minStart - Extended exhale (2:1)4 · 8
Down-shift quickly with an exhale twice as long as the inhale.
≈ 5 breaths/minStart - Physiological sigh2 + 1 · 6
Fastest way to take the edge off stress in real time.
≈ 6.7 breaths/minStart - Pursed-lip breathing2 · 4
Ease breathlessness and slow a fast breathing rate.
≈ 10 breaths/minStart - Diaphragmatic (belly) breathing4 · 6
The foundational skill — breathe with your diaphragm, not your chest.
≈ 6 breaths/minStart
Focus & balance
Steady the mind and even out the breath- Box breathing4 · 4 · 4 · 4
Steady your focus and stay calm under pressure.
≈ 3.8 breaths/minStart - Coherent breathing5.5 · 5.5
Breathe at ~5–6 per minute to maximise heart-rate variability.
≈ 5.5 breaths/minStart - Equal breathing (Sama Vritti)4 · 4
The simplest balancer — make the inhale and exhale the same length.
≈ 7.5 breaths/minStart - Triangle breathing4 · 4 · 4
A three-sided rhythm: in, hold, out — focus without the second hold.
≈ 5 breaths/minStart
How breathing exercises work
Your breath is the one part of your autonomic nervous system you can take manual control of — and that's the lever these exercises pull. Breathe slowly and, in particular, make your exhale longer than your inhale, and you tip the balance toward the parasympathetic “rest and digest” state: heart rate settles, and a wave of calm follows.
Different patterns suit different moments. Long-exhale techniques like 4-7-8 and extended-exhale breathing are best for winding down. Even, symmetric patterns like box breathing and coherent breathing steady your focus and, at around six breaths a minute, maximise heart-rate variability. And the physiological sigh is the fastest reset when stress spikes.
The trainer simply makes the timing effortless: a visual guide grows as you inhale and shrinks as you exhale, with optional tones and spoken cues, so you can close your eyes and follow along instead of counting.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best breathing exercises for anxiety and stress?
- For an acute spike of stress, the physiological sigh (a double inhale and a long exhale) works in under a minute. For winding down, 4-7-8 and extended-exhale breathing lean on a long out-breath to calm you. For steady, ongoing calm, coherent breathing at about six breaths a minute has the strongest evidence.
How do breathing exercises calm you down?
- Slowing your breath — especially making the exhale longer than the inhale — increases activity in the parasympathetic 'rest and digest' branch of your nervous system. Your heart rate falls on each exhale, so a slow, long-exhale rhythm reliably lowers arousal and stress.
How long should I do a breathing exercise?
- Even one to two minutes helps reset you in the moment. For building heart-rate variability or a daily habit, five to ten minutes is a good target. Every technique here lets you pick a 1, 3, 5 or 10-minute session.
Are these breathing exercises safe?
- The calm and focus techniques here are gentle and suit most healthy adults. Stop if you feel dizzy, never do breath-holds in water or while driving, and check with a clinician first if you have a heart, lung, blood-pressure or anxiety condition, or you're pregnant.
Do I need an account or an app?
- No. It runs in your browser, free, with no sign-up. Once the page has loaded it works offline, and your preferences (sound, haptics, visual style) are saved on your device only — there's no tracking and no streak.
Gear we recommend
Optional kit that pairs with a breathing practice — for tracking recovery or training the breath itself. We may earn a commission on purchases made through these links.
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Disclaimer. Breathing exercises are generally safe for healthy adults but are not medical advice. Stop if you feel dizzy or lightheaded, and never do breath-holds in or near water or while driving. If you have a heart, lung, blood-pressure or anxiety condition, or you're pregnant, check with a clinician first. FitHQ may earn a commission on purchases made through links on this page.