Editorial policy: how Breathing Exercises researches every page

What sources do we rely on?

We rank sources roughly like this:

1. Cochrane reviews, other systematic reviews and randomised controlled trials in people.
2. UK clinical guidance: NICE, the British Thoracic Society and SIGN, the NHS, and the Royal College of Physicians.
3. Smaller trials and physiology studies, which show what happens in the body over minutes or weeks but not what happens to people’s health over years. We say so whenever we use them.
4. Guidance from UK charities such as Asthma + Lung UK, for practical, patient-facing advice.

We don’t use course providers’, app makers’ or device manufacturers’ websites as sources for health claims. Where a method is named after a person or company, we may link to their own description of it so you can see what they say, but we grade it only on independent research.

How do we grade the evidence?

Each health claim carries one of four grades, from strong to no good evidence. The grading method is published so you can see how we decided. Each exercise is graded on its main use; a single exercise can have good evidence for one thing and none for another.

How do we write the exercises?

The steps, timings and positions for each exercise follow the way it is taught in the trials that tested it and by NHS respiratory physiotherapists, where that applies. Each one says how it should feel, when to stop and who should take care. We don’t provide a breathe-along timer for methods where pacing could encourage unsafe breath-holds.

How do we handle conflicts of interest?

Some breathing research is paid for or run by the people who sell the method or a device. That doesn’t make it wrong, but readers should know, so we mention it where it matters. In one example, the effect of a blood pressure breathing device disappeared when the manufacturer’s own trials were set aside. The site itself takes no money, products or favours from companies that make breathing apps, devices, courses or wellness products.

Do we use AI?

Yes, to help search the research and draft pages. A person then checks every page against its sources: each figure, timing and finding is compared with the original before the page goes live. We never publish a claim we can’t trace to a source.

How do we keep pages current?

Every page shows when it was last updated and when its next review is due. We review the health pages at least once a year, and sooner when an important new study or a change in NHS, NICE or BTS guidance appears.

What if we get something wrong?

We correct it, change the updated date and, if the correction changes the meaning, add a note at the end of the page saying what changed. Please report errors to hello@breathingexercises.uk, ideally with a link to the evidence.