# Are breathing exercises safe? Risks and who should take care

Source: https://breathingexercises.uk/safety/
Author: Nell Avery · Updated 2026-11-04

**Short answer:** Breathing exercises are safe for almost everyone. The main risks come from fast breathing and long breath-holds, which can cause dizziness, tingling and, rarely, fainting. Never practise breath-holds or over-breathing in or near water, while driving or standing. Take extra care if you are pregnant or have epilepsy, a heart condition or a lung condition.

## The short version

- **Slow, gentle exercises** with no long holds, such as [diaphragmatic breathing](/exercises/diaphragmatic-breathing/), [resonance breathing](/exercises/resonance-breathing/) and [pursed-lip breathing](/exercises/pursed-lip-breathing/), are safe for almost everyone.
- **Stop if you feel dizzy, tingly or light-headed**, and breathe normally until it passes. See [dizziness and tingling](/safety/dizziness-and-tingling/).
- **Never do breath-holds or fast breathing in or near water**, in the bath, in a hot tub or cold plunge, while driving, or standing where a faint could hurt you. See [breath-holding and water](/safety/breath-holding-and-water/).
- **Take extra care** if you are pregnant or have epilepsy, a heart condition, uncontrolled high blood pressure, a lung condition, panic attacks or a history of fainting. See [who should take care](/safety/who-should-take-care/).
- **Keep taking your medicines.** Breathing exercises add to treatment; they don't replace it.

## Where the risks come from

Almost all of the risk comes from two things: breathing more than your body needs, and holding your breath for a long time, especially after over-breathing. Over-breathing lowers the carbon dioxide in your blood, which causes dizziness and tingling and, in some people, can trigger panic or a seizure. A long breath-hold after over-breathing can make you black out without warning. See [carbon dioxide and over-breathing](/how-breathing-works/carbon-dioxide/).

Slow breathing exercises don't do either of these things, as long as the breaths stay soft. That is why they are the ones we recommend most, and why the [Wim Hof method](/exercises/wim-hof-breathing/) is the one exercise on this site with no breathe-along timer.

## When to get help

Breathing exercises are for breathlessness and symptoms you already understand. If you are breathless and don't know why, or it is getting worse, get it checked first. Call 999 if you have severe difficulty breathing, chest pain, blue or grey lips, or sudden confusion. See [breathlessness: when to get help](/conditions/breathlessness-when-to-get-help/).

## Frequently asked questions

### Can breathing exercises be dangerous?

Gentle, slow exercises are very safe. Fast breathing and long breath-holds carry real but avoidable risks: they can make you faint, which is dangerous in water, in the bath, while driving or standing up. Stick to slow exercises if you are unsure.

### Is it normal to feel dizzy during breathing exercises?

It is common, and usually means you are breathing too deeply or too fast. Stop, breathe normally and it will pass in a few minutes. Next time, make each breath smaller and softer.

### Can I do breathing exercises if I'm pregnant?

Yes, slow and gentle breathing is fine and is often taught for labour. Avoid long breath-holds and fast breathing methods such as Wim Hof breathing, and in later pregnancy avoid lying flat on your back for more than a few minutes.

## References

1. [Bart RM et al. Shallow water blackout. StatPearls, 2026.](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32119507/)
2. [Boyd C et al. Fatal and nonfatal drowning outcomes related to dangerous underwater breath-holding behaviors, New York State, 1988-2011. MMWR, 2015.](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25996093/)
3. [Rao CK, Kuperman R. A review of hyperventilation activation in diagnosis and management of childhood absence epilepsy. Journal of Child Neurology, 2024.](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39175400/)
4. [NHS. Exercise in pregnancy.](https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/keeping-well/exercise/)