Nasal Breathing: Benefits, Exercises and When It Helps

By Roel van den Bogaard, personal trainer and founder of Aurora Personal Training in Eindhoven.

Nasal breathing warms, humidifies and filters the air you inhale. Breathing through your nose is often comfortable at rest and during light activity. During intense exercise, mouth breathing is normal. Gentle breathing exercises may help with relaxation, but nasal breathing is not a proven solution for fatigue, sleep apnoea or faster muscle recovery.

You are sitting at your laptop and notice that your breathing feels unsettled. Or you are trying to breathe exclusively through your nose during a workout, even though you increasingly feel the need to open your mouth.

Should you keep going? And does breathing through your nose really provide more energy or improve performance?

The answer depends on the situation. Below, we explain what your nose does, which benefits are supported and how to practise nasal breathing without turning it into another performance target.

Nasal breathing means taking air in through your nose. During a gentle breathing exercise, you can also breathe out through your nose, provided it feels comfortable.

Your nose does more than let air pass through. Its lining helps warm and humidify incoming air. Mucus and tiny hair-like structures called cilia help trap and clear particles. These are normal functions of your airways. [1, 2]

Breathing through your nose and breathing slowly are different things. You can breathe rapidly through your nose or exhale slowly through your mouth. That distinction matters when reading claims about relaxation and the nervous system.

The aim is not to keep your mouth closed in every situation. Your breathing needs to adapt to what you are doing.

1. Your nose warms and humidifies incoming air

This is a well-established function of your nose. Air is conditioned as it travels towards your lungs.

That makes the nose a natural route for quiet breathing. It does not mean you should insist on nasal breathing throughout demanding exercise. [1]

2. Your nose helps trap airborne particles

Mucus and cilia contribute to the protective functions of your airways.

This does not guarantee that you will avoid inhaling pathogens. Nasal breathing also does not make polluted air harmless. A general promise that it “boosts your immune system” therefore goes too far. [2]

3. Gentle breathing practice may support relaxation

Paying attention to a calm breathing rhythm can provide a useful opportunity to pause.

A meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials found favourable average effects of breathing exercises on self-reported stress. The studies used different approaches and had limitations. These findings do not establish that breathing through the nose alone caused the benefits. [3]

Use an exercise as a tool. You do not need to achieve a perfect breathing rate or constantly try to “optimise” your nervous system.

4. You can become more aware of your effort

During an easy walk, you can notice whether breathing through your nose feels comfortable. This may help you pay attention to keeping the pace relaxed.

It is not a precise fitness test or a replacement for training zones. How easily you can breathe through your nose also depends on factors such as nasal congestion.

5. Noticing mouth breathing may draw attention to symptoms

Do you regularly wake up with a dry mouth? Or find it difficult to breathe through your nose during the day? These symptoms deserve attention.

Persistent dry mouth has several possible causes and can increase the risk of dental problems. Simply trying to breathe through your nose more often is not always the solution.

Discuss recurring symptoms with your dentist or GP. [4]

Breathing affects gas exchange, but “breathing through your nose automatically delivers more oxygen to your muscles” is an oversimplification.

Research comparing nasal and mouth breathing during exercise does not justify a universal performance promise. In one study of intense exercise, nasal breathing did not produce more favourable responses across all measures; heart rate was higher during parts of the test. [5]

An explanation involving carbon dioxide or nitric oxide also does not, by itself, establish that nasal breathing will help you:

• build more muscle;
• recover faster between workouts;
• improve lung function;
• feel more energetic throughout the day.

A biological mechanism and a meaningful training outcome are different steps.

During your warm-up

Start at an easy pace. You can breathe through your nose as long as it remains comfortable.

The purpose of a warm-up is to prepare for the session. Restricting your breathing does not automatically improve that preparation.

During strength training

Let your breathing match the exercise, load and technique. A heavy set involves different demands from easy cycling or a mobility exercise.

Do not turn exclusive nasal breathing into another rule you must follow during every repetition. If it leaves you struggling for air or distracts you from your technique, the restriction is not helping at that moment.

During running and intervals

As exercise becomes harder, your breathing increases. Breathing through your mouth is normal in this situation.

Want to try nasal breathing? Experiment during an easy section of your workout. You do not need to turn it into a maximum-effort test.

Between sets

Take enough rest to perform your next set well. As your breathing settles naturally, you can return to comfortable nasal breathing.

Treat this as a gentle transition, rather than proof that your muscles have fully recovered.

Try this short exercise at a quiet moment. It is an introduction, rather than a treatment or a proven optimal routine.

1. Sit comfortably. Allow your shoulders to relax.
2. Check that your nose is sufficiently clear. Do not force nasal breathing if it feels difficult.
3. Breathe in gently. Avoid taking an exaggeratedly large breath.
4. Let the air flow out comfortably. Exhale through your nose if that feels pleasant.
5. Continue for around one to two minutes. Comfortable breathing matters more than counting.

You do not need to hold your breath or achieve a fixed ratio between inhaling and exhaling. A study of slow breathing found no clear additional benefit from a longer exhalation compared with equal inhalation and exhalation durations. [6]

If you feel dizzy, short of breath or unsettled, stop the exercise and return to your usual breathing.

You might try it after a demanding block of work or before an easy walk. Assess whether you find it comfortable and useful.

A clear nose can make breathing feel more comfortable. However, practising nasal breathing during the day does not guarantee deeper sleep, less snoring or better overnight oxygen levels.

If you snore loudly, someone notices pauses in your breathing, or you feel unusually sleepy during the day, speak to your GP.

Sleep apnoea involves repeated interruptions in breathing during sleep. It requires appropriate assessment and, when necessary, treatment. [7]

For practical habits around your sleep schedule and evening routine, read our tips to improve sleep.

Should you tape your mouth shut?

Do not make mouth taping your default solution for forcing nasal breathing.

A medical article in the Dutch Journal of Medicine explains that nasal airflow naturally varies and that mouth taping is not needed to change this normal variation. [8]

If you have persistent nasal congestion or possible sleep apnoea, have the underlying issue assessed first.

Discuss symptoms with your GP if you:

• persistently struggle to breathe through your nose;
• snore loudly with possible pauses in breathing;
• remain very sleepy despite having enough opportunity to sleep;
• experience recurring breathlessness.

A personal trainer can help you organise training and recovery. Diagnosing and treating breathing disorders is the responsibility of a healthcare professional.

Is nasal breathing better than mouth breathing?

At rest, your nose performs useful functions: warming, humidifying and filtering incoming air.

During intense exercise, mouth breathing can be appropriate. The situation determines what is practical.

Should you always breathe out through your nose?

No. It may feel comfortable during a gentle breathing exercise, but it is not a universal rule for every activity.

Can you train nasal breathing?

You can practise gently when your nose is sufficiently clear. Do not expect guaranteed improvements in fitness or sports performance.

Persistent nasal congestion requires attention to its cause.

Does nasal breathing help with stress?

Gentle breathing exercises may help reduce self-reported stress. You cannot attribute that effect exclusively to breathing through the nose.

Is mouth breathing during exercise bad?

No. Mouth breathing is normal, particularly during intense exercise. You do not need to suppress it to train effectively.

Does nasal breathing help with fatigue?

It is not a general treatment for fatigue. Consider sleep, nutrition, stress and training demands too.

Have persistent or unexplained fatigue assessed.

Does nasal breathing prevent snoring?

You cannot make that claim for everyone. Snoring has different possible causes.

Breathing pauses or pronounced daytime sleepiness are reasons to speak to your GP.

At Aurora Personal Training in Eindhoven, we consider how training fits your schedule, experience and recovery.

Breathing can be a useful tool: to start calmly, notice your effort or build in a moment of relaxation. We do not promise that this will automatically improve your sleep or accelerate muscle growth.

You train in our private studio at Vestdijk 159, with personal guidance and a programme that matches your goals.

Explore our personal training in Eindhoven if you would like more structure in your training and recovery.

Book a free intake at Aurora Personal Training to discuss an approach that suits your situation.

• Naclerio et al.: the nose’s role in warming and humidifying inhaled air.
• NCBI Bookshelf: nasal physiology.
• Fincham et al.: meta-analysis of breathing exercises and self-reported stress.
• National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research: dry mouth.
• Recinto et al.: nasal and mouth breathing during intense exercise.
• Slow breathing for reducing stress: the effect of extending exhalation.
• Thuisarts: possible sleep apnoea. Dutch-language source.
• Dutch Journal of Medicine: mouth taping and nasal breathing. Dutch-language article with an English abstract.