For something we do roughly 20,000 times a day, breathing gets very little attention. Until you feel short of breath. Until anxiety tightens your chest. Until your doctor mentions inflammation, high blood pressure, or a stress-related condition and you realize your body has been carrying more than you thought.
Breathing is automatic.1 But the way we breathe is not neutral. It shapes our nervous system, our stress response, and even inflammatory signaling throughout the body.1 Keep reading to learn about breathing exercises to lower inflammation and stress in the body.
What Actually Happens When You Breathe
Breathing is a gas exchange system.1 When you inhale, oxygen enters the lungs and diffuses into the bloodstream. Red blood cells carry that oxygen to organs and tissues so cells can produce energy. When you exhale, carbon dioxide, a waste product of metabolism, leaves the body.1
But breathing does more than move oxygen. It regulates the autonomic nervous system. The autonomic nervous system has two main branches. The sympathetic system drives the “fight or flight” response, increasing heart rate, raising blood pressure, and preparing the body for threat.1
The parasympathetic system supports “rest and digest” functions, slowing the heart, lowering blood pressure, and promoting repair and recovery.1
Breathing patterns influence which branch dominates. Slow, controlled breathing stimulates the vagus nerve, a major pathway that activates parasympathetic signaling. Rapid, shallow breathing reinforces sympathetic activation. Over time, these patterns affect cortisol levels, blood pressure, and inflammatory processes.1
What Happens When We Aren’t Breathing Properly
Under chronic stress, many people default to shallow chest breathing. The shoulders lift. The breath stays high. The diaphragm does less work.2
This pattern can:
- Increase sympathetic nervous system activity.2
- Elevate heart rate and blood pressure.2
- Disrupt sleep.2
- Worsen anxiety symptoms.2
- Contribute to systemic inflammation over time.2
Inflammation itself is not inherently harmful. It is part of the immune response. But chronic (long-term) inflammation, when it persists beyond immediate injury or infection, is linked to heart disease, diabetes, autoimmune conditions, and depression.2
Research shows that simple habits like slow breathing and meditation can lower your body’s stress hormones. These practices improve your heart rate variability, which is just a technical way of saying your nervous system is balanced and can bounce back from stress more easily.2
Breathing isn’t a magic cure, but it is a “manual override” for your body’s stress response. It gives you a direct way to calm your system down when things feel heavy.2
How Proper Breathing Lowers Inflammation and Stress
Slow breathing works like a “reset button” for your body. It turns down your “fight or flight” response, which naturally lowers your heart rate and blood pressure. It also stimulates the vagus nerve, a major internal highway that tells your immune system to calm down and stop unnecessary inflammation.1
By steadying your breath, you keep your oxygen levels balanced, which helps prevent the dizzy, anxious feelings that come when you breathe too fast.1
What this means for you: Medical studies show that practicing slow breathing can lower your stress and help manage high blood pressure. While it isn’t a replacement for your doctor’s prescriptions, it is a free, easy-to-use tool that helps your body stay balanced and helps you heal.1
5 Breathing Exercises to Lower Inflammation and Stress
These exercises are practical. They do not require equipment, memberships, or special clothing. What they require is consistency and proper form. Think of them as conditioning for your nervous system.5
1. Diaphragmatic Breathing (Foundational Reset)
Diaphragmatic breathing allows the diaphragm, the dome-shaped muscle beneath the lungs, to move fully. This increases lung efficiency and stimulates vagal signaling.
To practice, sit or lie down comfortably. Place one hand on your chest and one on your lower abdomen. Inhale slowly through your nose so the lower hand rises more than the upper hand. Exhale gently and allow the abdomen to fall.5
Pro Tip: A pillow or folded towel placed on the lower abdomen can provide feedback so you feel the breath expanding downward rather than lifting the chest.
Practice for five to ten minutes daily, ideally in the morning or before bed.
Optional guided video: Diaphragmatic breathing tutorial
2. 4–6 Breathing (Extended Exhale Regulation)
Inhale through your nose for four seconds. Exhale for six seconds. The longer exhale is intentional.
Lengthening the exhale increases parasympathetic activation and lowers heart rate. Over time, this pattern supports reduced stress hormone levels.5
Pro Tip: A visual timer or breathing app can help maintain pace. Some people find it helpful to trace a slow line with a finger during the exhale to prevent rushing.
Use this before sleep, during work breaks, or prior to stressful events.
Optional guided video: 4–6 Breathing
3. Box Breathing (Acute Stress Stabilizer)
Inhale for four seconds. Hold for four. Exhale for four. Hold again for four.
This creates rhythmic stability and reduces acute stress spikes. It is particularly useful for people who experience anxiety-driven rapid breathing.5
Pro Tip: Visualizing a square or tracing one with your finger during the cycle can anchor attention. Use during moments of heightened emotion or physical tension.
Optional guided video: Box breathing
4. Resonant Breathing (Nervous System Conditioning)
Inhale for five seconds. Exhale for five seconds. Continue for five to ten minutes.
By slowing down to about five or six breaths per minute, you help your heart and nervous system work together perfectly. This creates “high variability,” which is just a sign that your body is flexible, healthy, and ready to handle whatever stress comes your way.5
Pro Tip: Practice during a scheduled daily break when stress is not already overwhelming.
Optional guided video: Resonant breathing
5. Extended Exhale Reset (Rapid Calm Response)
Inhale through your nose for four seconds. Exhale slowly through pursed lips for eight seconds.
The extended exhale acts as a physiological brake, quickly shifting the nervous system from “fight or flight” mode to “rest and recover” mode.5
Pro Tip: Maintain upright posture or lie on your side for better control. Placing a hand on the chest or abdomen can slow the pace.
This is useful during moments of acute stress, pain flares, or emotional overwhelm.
Optional guided video: Extended Exhale Reset
A Call to Action for the NOWINCLUDED Community
Inside the NOWINCLUDED app this week, choose one breathing exercise and practice it for five minutes a day.
Share what you notice. Does your sleep change? Do stressful moments feel less intense? Does your body feel steadier?
Breathing is not about becoming perfectly calm. It is about giving your nervous system a different signal to follow. Practiced consistently, that signal can shift how your body carries stress and inflammation over time.
References
- NIH. (2025, June 27). What Breathing Does for the Body. Retrieved from NIH: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute: https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/lungs/breathing-benefits
- Rifkin, R. (2021, June). How shallow breathing affects your whole body. Retrieved from Headspace: https://www.headspace.com/articles/shallow-breathing-whole-body
- NIH. (2022, March). Respiratory Failure: Causes and Risk Factors. Retrieved from NIH: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute: https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/respiratory-failure/causes
- ALA. (2026, February). Racial and Ethnic Disparities. Retrieved from American Lung Association: https://www.lung.org/research/state-of-lung-cancer/racial-and-ethnic-disparities
- Cronkleton, E. (2024, May 17). 10 Breathing Exercises to Try When You’re Feeling Stressed. Retrieved from Healthline: https://www.healthline.com/health/breathing-exercise
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