Breathe Better, Train Harder: Using Breathwork During Exercise

Master Breathwork trainer Chris Sulfa is back with the second instalment of our breathwork series. (If you missed the first one, giving you a total overview of what breathwork is and what the benefits are, you can check that out here). This time, we’re focusing on how you can use breathwork during exercise to improve your results.

 

Let’s face it, many of us barely think about our breath unless we’re gasping for air mid-burpee or trying to recover after a new deadlift PB.

 

Here’s the deal, though – how you breathe can either support your performance in the gym or it can sabotage it.

 

Breathwork isn’t just some “woo-woo” wellness tool.

 

It is a legitimate performance enhancer backed by science and practiced by some of the world’s top athletes:

• Lebron James: Practices rhythmic breathing courtside to regulate his nervous system, centre his mind and get his heart rate under control so he can stay calm under pressure.
• Novak Djokovic: uses Breathwork techniques to calm himself during a match to bring himself back into an optimum state of mind and body.
• Jake Paul: Breathwork, visualisation, and meditation are all part of his intense physical training to support and help him access a flow state; it’s his secret weapon in the ring.

 

Let’s break down how breathwork can be used in the gym pre-workout, mid-workout, and post-workout, and why every athlete, lifter, Hyrox enthusiast and OneRun runner should care.

Why does Breathwork During exercise Matter?

Well, the most obvious is that Breathwork can improve oxygen delivery to cells, which helps produce ATP (Adenosine triphosphate), the body’s main energy source more efficiently through cellular respiration.

 

Oxygen is fuel for the body. During intense exercise, muscles demand more oxygen to maintain energy levels and delay fatigue. Shallow or inefficient breathing limits oxygen intake, causing muscles to tire more quickly.

 

While oxygen is important, the role of carbon dioxide (CO2) in athletic performance is often an afterthought. Higher CO2 levels in the blood make it easier for oxygen to release from haemoglobin and reach muscles (a phenomenon referred to as the Bohr Effect). Most athletes struggle with CO2 tolerance, which can cause breathlessness and increase fatigue.

 

Why does this matter? If you can build your CO2 tolerance, you can maintain composure and endurance during moments of extreme physical demand, such as sprinting, reducing feelings of being gassed out and enduring HYROX, for example.

 

Aside from this, breathwork can help to enhance recovery by activating the parasympathetic nervous system, which governs the body’s “rest and digest” functions.

 

After intense effort, the body remains in a heightened state of stress, think cortisol levels elevated, high heart rate, muscle tension, etc.

 

Incorporating breathwork into your recovery can help high-performance athletes bounce back, reduce inflammation and avoid burnout.

Breathwork as a Pre-Workout: Switch on & prime the body

Ever heard of OxyShred or taken a pre-workout supplement before?

 

There are certain ingredients commonly found in these products that influence blood flow, enhancing the production of something called “Nitric Oxide”

 

Nitric oxide is a gaseous molecule that plays a crucial role in many biological functions. The side effects of nitric oxide include neurotransmission, inflammation, and vasodilation (AKA blood flow, AKA muscle pump)

 

The interesting thing is that we can produce our own Nitric oxide through Breathwork. Enter “Nasal Nitric Oxide”, which helps open airways, improve oxygen uptake, and boost circulation when you breathe through your nose. This enhances oxygen delivery, dilating blood vessels (vasodilation) and allows more efficient oxygen transfer from lungs to bloodstream.

 

Below are a couple of techniques that can enhance the production of this miracle molecule, ditch the coffee and give them a try.

 

Technique 1: Breath of Fire

 

How to do it :

• Short passive inhales through the nose
• Fast forceful exhales out of the nose
• Let the breaths happen like a rebound
• Movement comes from the lower belly.
• Repeat 3 – 5 rounds

 

Why it works:

• Stimulates the Sympathetic Nervous System
• Improves circulation and oxygenation
• Improves breath control and respiratory endurance

 

Technique 2: Humming Breath aka Bee Breath

 

How to Do It:

• Lock your tongue to the roof of your mouth
• Inhale through the nose
• Exhale slowly through the nose while humming
• Repeat 5-10 rounds

 

Why it works:

• Humming stimulates sinus resonance, significantly boosting Nitric Oxide output 15 times more than any other technique.
• Enhances airflow in the nasal cavity
• Triggers parasympathetic relaxation (can also be used for downregulation)

 

Mid-Workout Breathwork: Control Your Breath, Control the Chaos

Ever hit a wall during your workout where your form breaks down, and your breathing becomes a chaotic mess? That’s where conscious breathing in the middle of training becomes a superpower.

 

Nasal Breathing for steady state & recovery intervals

Here’s a bold move: try keeping your mouth closed during moderate-intensity training, especially in your warm-up sets, long cardio sessions, or lower-intensity strength circuits.

 

Why nasal breathing during training?

• Filters and humidifies the air
• Increases nitric oxide (NO) for better blood flow
• Regulates breathing rate
• Reduces the tendency to over-breathe
• Keeps you calm and focused

 

If you’re doing intense intervals or strength work, you might need to breathe through the mouth, but try returning to nasal breathing during rest periods. This accelerates recovery and keeps your nervous system from tipping too far into fight-or-flight, or in other words, the sympathetic branch of the nervous system.

 

Mid-Workout Reset: Box Breathing Between Sets

Use this between heavy lifts or after high-output sets:

• Inhale 5 seconds
• Hold 5 seconds
• Exhale 5 seconds
• Hold 5 seconds

 

One or two rounds of this can lower your heart rate, steady your hands, and bring mental clarity back online, which is perfect for setting up your next lift or round.

 

Hot tip – Use your breath as feedback

Struggling to breathe through your nose at a certain pace? That’s data. It tells you when you’re crossing from aerobic (fat-burning) to anaerobic (sugar-burning). Use your breath to consciously regulate your intensity instead of relying solely on heart rate monitors or perceived exertion.

 

Technique 3: The Phrenic Nerve Reset

Your phrenic nerve runs from your brain stem down to your diaphragm.

 

It is responsible for your breathing and can get out of whack, causing a side stitch, which, if you’ve ever experienced before can stop us dead in our tracks, preventing us from continuing our workout. This technique can help to reset the function of the phrenic nerve.

 

How to do it:

• Inhale through your nose, filling your lungs about 80% of the way
• Take another second, shorter inhale through the nose the rest of the way
• Exhale slowly and fully through the mouth, long, steady, controlled exhale (8 seconds)

 

Why it works:

• Long exhale slows heart rate and shifts the body from fight-or-flight to rest-and-digest mode.
• Quickly lowers blood pressure, heart rate, and stress hormones (like cortisol)
• Calms the amygdala and reduces signals of threat in the brain

 

Post-Workout Breathwork: Down-Regulate & Recover

Recovery doesn’t start when you leave the gym; it starts the moment your session ends. The faster you can bring your body back to a parasympathetic (rest-and-digest) state, the quicker you recover.

 

And breathwork is the key to getting there.

 

Technique 4: Extended Exhales = Parasympathetic Breathing

Try this right after your workout while lying on your back.

 

• Inhale for 4 seconds through the nose
• Exhale for 8 seconds through the nose
• Repeat for 3–5 minutes

 

Long, slow exhales stimulate the vagus nerve, helping your body shift into recovery mode. Your heart rate drops, cortisol lowers, and your brain gets the signal: “It’s time to relax and slow down”

 

Want to level it up? Add a humming exhale to stimulate even more nitric oxide production and further activate the parasympathetic system.

What are the ongoing benefits of Breathwork During Exercise?

We train our muscles, our mobility, even our mindset, but most of us ignore the one system that connects them all: our breath.

 

Here’s what consistent breathwork can improve:

• Endurance: Better CO₂ tolerance = less breathlessness
• Strength: More stability through proper intra-abdominal pressure (diaphragmatic breathing)
• Focus: Breath = anchor for the mind during tough sets
• Recovery: Quicker nervous system reset post-exercise
• Resilience: Breathwork improves your stress response—both in the gym and in life

 

Your breath is free, portable, and ridiculously effective. Whether you’re prepping for a heavy session, struggling mid Hyrox session, or trying to come down after a sweaty reformer session, breathwork is your secret weapon.

 

Start small, try a few rounds of breath of fire or Humming breath to prep your body and nervous system. Notice how you feel when you nasal breathe through your warm-up. Use box breathing between sets to stay focused, and finish with long exhales to recover like a pro.

 

You don’t need to overhaul your training, you just need to breathe better while you train. Don’t let breathing be a bottleneck – train hard, breath smart, recover faster.

 

Want to dive deeper and learn more?

Check these out:

• Patrick McKeown – The Oxygen Advantage
  The gold standard for performance breathwork. Practical and grounded in science.
• James Nestor – Breath
  A fascinating deep dive into how modern breathing habits are sabotaging our health.
• Dr. Belisa Vranich – Breathing for Warriors
  Tactical tools for athletes, lifters, and anyone serious about performance.