Standard daily protocol
The canonical inspiratory muscle training session — 30 resisted breaths at your training load, the evidence-based default done once or twice a day, most days. The app counts every breath and times the recovery, so all you do is set your dial and breathe. It's the bookmarked answer to 'I bought a POWERbreathe, now what?': open it, hit the load you set last time, count to 30, done.
- Moves
- 2
- Length
- ≈ 2 min
- Level
- All levels
Also known as powerbreathe routine, 30 breath imt, daily inspiratory muscle training.
How the session works
- 1Set your device to your training load (the one where 30 breaths is hard but doable).
- 2Press start. Seal your lips around the mouthpiece and pinch your nose or use the nose clip.
- 3Inhale hard and deep against the load, exhale relaxed, and let the app count to 30.
- 4Finish with easy recovery breathing. Do this once or twice a day, most days.
The moves
- Resisted breath set60s
Big, fast effort in through the device — slow, relaxed out.
- Easy recovery breathing60s
Mouthpiece out. Slow, easy nasal breaths — let the muscles recover.
What it's good for
- The standard, evidence-based 30-breath protocol, counted for you.
- Quick — a few minutes, once or twice a day.
- Remembers nothing to fiddle with: set your dial, breathe, done.
The evidence. Inspiratory muscle training has real evidence for reducing the sense of breathlessness, with trials supporting lower blood pressure and better exercise tolerance — strongest in respiratory rehab and trained athletes. It won't cause weight loss or guarantee performance gains; treat athletic benefits as modest and individual.
Safety
- Check with a clinician before starting if you have a respiratory or cardiac condition (such as COPD or asthma), uncontrolled high blood pressure, a history of collapsed lung (pneumothorax), recent chest or abdominal surgery, or are pregnant — in these cases IMT should be clinician-supervised.
- Resisted inhalation can make you lightheaded — stop and rest if you feel dizzy, and never push through it.
Frequently asked questions
How many breaths should I do on a POWERbreathe?
- The standard protocol is 30 resisted breaths, once or twice a day, most days of the week. You can do it as one set of 30 or two sets of 15 — this session counts a single set of 30.
How do I set the load?
- Set the dial (or the Airofit app) to a load where the last several of the 30 breaths feel hard but you can complete them with good technique and without dizziness. Note the setting so you can repeat it.
Should I do IMT twice a day?
- Many protocols use twice daily, but once a day still helps and is easier to sustain. Consistency over weeks matters more than squeezing in a second session.
POWERbreathe or Airofit — does it matter?
- Both add inspiratory resistance and follow the same breath-set principle. POWERbreathe uses a mechanical dial; Airofit sets resistance in an app and can also train the exhale. Either works for this protocol.
Gear we recommend
Optional kit that pairs with a home practice — for tracking recovery and effort. We may earn a commission on purchases made through these links.
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Disclaimer. This guided session is low intensity and intended for healthy adults, but it is not medical advice. Move within a comfortable range, stop if anything hurts, and check with a clinician first if you're pregnant, recovering from injury or surgery, or managing a heart, joint or blood-pressure condition. FitHQ may earn a commission on purchases made through links on this page.