Goals & situations
Breathing after exercise: settling down from a workout
After a workout, a few minutes of slow breathing with a longer exhale - for example 4 in and 6 out - helps your body ease from exertion back toward rest. Let your breathing slow naturally as your heart rate settles; there is no need to force it.
The cool-down is part of the workout. Slow breathing helps signal that the effort is over.
What to try
- Extended exhale (4 in, 6 out).
- Slow coherent breathing as your heart rate comes down.
Fast option
A minute or two of slow, longer-exhale breathing right after you stop.
Longer option
Five minutes of slow breathing as a proper cool-down, ideally with Apple Watch guidance.
What to avoid
- Forcing a slow pace while still very out of breath - let it come down first.
- Breath holds immediately after hard effort.
Evidence and limitations
Slow breathing is associated with a faster shift toward parasympathetic (recovery) activity, though the size of the effect depends on the person and the intensity of exercise.[1]
Safety
If you feel chest pain, severe breathlessness, or faintness after exercise, seek medical attention rather than treating it as something to breathe through.
In the app
A BreathMate recovery session guides the wind-down, and Apple Watch can read your heart rate to pace it.
Sources
- Effects of voluntary slow breathing on heart rate and heart rate variability: A systematic review and a meta-analysis — Laborde S, et al., Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews (2022). doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104711
- The physiological effects of slow breathing in the healthy human — Russo MA, Santarelli DM, O'Rourke D, Breathe (European Respiratory Society) (2017). doi:10.1183/20734735.009817
This is general wellbeing information compiled by our editorial team, not medical advice.