Long COVID Self-Management - Breathing Techniques

When you experience shortness of breath, you may feel like you need more air. You may try to take more air into your lungs or breathe faster. Breathing faster may not allow you to fully empty your lungs as you breathe out. As a result, you tend to use the top of your chest to breathe instead of using your whole lungs. Breathing becomes more work, you tire more easily, and you feel more out of breath. By practicing the breathing techniques below, you can learn to breathe more efficiently and be in control of your breathing. Learn about the mechanics of breathing the Mechanics of Breathing page.

To master these techniques, you need to practice them daily. They will help you to control your breathing when you are active or become breathless. You can check out the YouTube videos attached for some of the techniques to help guide you with these exercises.

Record your activities and rate your shortness of breath. This will help you understand which activities make you breathless and if your symptoms are worse at certain times of the day. For an activity log, visit the Fatigue Management page.