Breathing Exercises You Can Do During Our Zoom Classes
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Breathing Exercises You Can Do During Our Zoom Classes
You do not need to be super fit or able to stand for a whole class to benefit from PHAT breathing work. This guide shows how our Zoom breathing routines can sit alongside your existing NHS plan, and how to join in safely even if you need to sit for most of the session.
Watch This First: How to Join In Your Own Way
This session walks through a typical PHAT Zoom class, showing how breathing work can be adapted if you are sitting, standing with support, or having a lower-energy day. You can pause at any time, try one or two exercises, and come back when you feel ready.
You are always in control. You can watch with your camera off, try just the first breathing exercise, then rest and simply listen. If anything makes you feel dizzy, very breathless, or uncomfortable, stop straight away and use the rest positions you already know. Speak to your GP or team if you are unsure what is safe for you.
Why breathing work during Zoom classes matters
Gentle breathing exercises can support many parts of your health:
- Helping your lungs empty and refill more comfortably.
- Supporting your heart and circulation when paired with light movement.
- Calming your nervous system during times of stress or worry.
- Building confidence that you can manage breathlessness without panicking.
Our Zoom classes are designed so that breathing work can be:
- Done while sitting in a supportive chair, if needed.
- Adjusted if you use mobility aids or oxygen.
- Matched to your own energy level on the day – not a “fitness test”.
Setting up your space safely for breathing work
Before joining a PHAT Zoom class, it helps to set up a small “breathing corner”:
- A steady chair with a back, ideally without wheels, where your feet can rest flat on the floor or a small footrest.
- A stable surface nearby – table or worktop – so you can rest your arms or lean forwards if that eases your breathing.
- Your usual inhalers, medicines, water and tissues within easy reach.
- A window you can open slightly if you prefer fresh air and it is safe to do so.
- Your phone or landline nearby in case you need to seek help, plus any “action plan” written by your clinicians.
If you use oxygen, a mobility aid or have been given specific limits by your NHS team (for example, a heart rate or oxygen range), keep those instructions nearby as your first point of reference.
Gentle breathing exercises you may meet in PHAT Zoom classes
Your PHAT leaders will always talk you through what to do and remind you that you can stop at any point. The exercises below are examples of the kind of work we may offer, so you know roughly what to expect.
1. Comfortable nose breathing
Many sessions start with simply noticing your natural breath:
- Sitting tall but relaxed, feet supported.
- Letting your shoulders soften away from your ears.
- Allowing air to flow in and out through the nose if that feels comfortable for you.
- Not forcing anything – just noticing the rhythm.
This helps you arrive in the session without pressure to “perform”.
2. Slower, softer exhalation
For some people, gently lengthening the out-breath can help the body relax. One simple way is:
- Breathing in gently through the nose.
- Breathing out slowly through softly pursed lips, as if you are gently blowing on a spoon of hot soup.
- Seeing if you can make the out-breath slightly longer than the in-breath, without strain.
If you feel light-headed, very breathless, or uncomfortable, return to your natural breathing and rest. You do not have to continue just because others are.
3. “Smell the flowers, blow the candle” (for mixed breathing and focus)
This is a simple image some people enjoy:
- Imagine you are smelling a flower – a gentle breath in through the nose.
- Then imagine gently blowing out a candle without making the wax splash – a slow, controlled out-breath.
- Repeat a few times at your own pace, then rest.
4. Breathing with the shoulders and upper back in mind
When you are anxious or breathless, shoulders often creep upwards and the chest tightens. A typical seated exercise might be:
- Sitting with hands resting on your thighs.
- On a gentle in-breath, allowing the chest to widen softly.
- On the out-breath, letting the shoulders melt down and the face soften.
- Optionally, adding a small shoulder roll if your joints allow it, always within comfort.
You can keep the movement tiny – the breathing is more important than the size of the action.
5. Pairing breath with very small movements
Later in the session, some people may choose to add light arm or leg movements in time with their breath. For example:
- Breathing in as the arms float forward a short distance.
- Breathing out as the arms gently return to the lap.
- Or breathing in as one heel slides forwards on the floor, and out as it slides back.
You can do these within a very small range, or not at all. It is always acceptable to focus on breathing only, while watching others move.
Joining in safely if you need to sit for most of the session
Many PHAT participants sit for the whole class, either by choice or because of health needs. You are still a full member of the group. To keep seated breathing work safe and comfortable:
- Use a stable chair with good support and avoid perching on the edge.
- Keep your feet planted and avoid crossing legs tightly which can affect circulation.
- Move within your comfortable range – it is fine for your movements to be smaller than the leader’s.
- Check in with your own warning signs (for example, chest tightness, unusual palpitations, dizziness) and stop if they appear.
- Feel free to turn your camera off if it helps you relax and try things without feeling watched.
If your team has given you specific instructions about exercise – for example, “Do not exercise if you have chest pain today” or “Stay within this heart rate range” – those instructions always come first.
- You feel new or worsening chest pain, heaviness or tightness.
- You become very breathless at rest, or cannot speak in short sentences.
- You feel faint, confused, or your vision changes.
- Your usual reliever inhaler, oxygen or rest does not help as expected.
Linking Zoom breathing work to your wider NHS plan
PHAT classes are designed to sit alongside your existing care, not instead of it. To keep everything joined up, you might:
- Tell your GP, practice nurse or respiratory team that you attend PHAT Zoom classes and what they involve.
- Bring a short description of the breathing exercises to your next review, especially if you feel more or less breathless since starting.
- Ask how PHAT sessions can support your pulmonary rehabilitation, cardiac rehab or mental health plan rather than clash with it.
“Take to your team” – PHAT Zoom breathing checklist
You can copy these prompts into a notebook or onto paper and bring them to your next appointment.
1. How PHAT Zoom breathing feels for me:
(For example: “Helps me feel calmer”, “Makes me slightly breathless but in a controlled way”, “I feel unsure if it is safe with my heart/lung condition.”)
2. Exercises I enjoy or find helpful:
(For example: slower exhalation, shoulder softening, breathing with small arm movements.)
3. Any discomfort or concerns I have noticed:
(For example: dizziness, chest tightness, palpitations, strong anxiety.)
4. Questions I want to ask about breathing work and safety:
(For example: “Are there breathing patterns I should avoid?”, “Is it okay to join on days when I have a mild infection?”)
5. Anything you would like my PHAT leaders to know about my condition:
(You can ask if your clinician is happy for you to share these points with the class leader.)
Apply this gently today (5 minutes)
You do not need to wait until the next class to take one small step:
Apply This Gently Today (5 Minutes)
Choose one simple action that connects your home breathing with your Zoom class.
-
One small action I can try today is…
For example, “Practise three rounds of ‘smell the flowers, blow the candle’ in my favourite chair,” or “Set up a safe chair and table ready for my next session.” -
I will try it at this time and place…
For example, “After lunch in the living room,” or “Before my evening programme, with the TV off for five minutes.” -
I will tell this person how it felt…
A family member, friend, carer, or PHAT class leader who can encourage me and help me adjust it next time if needed.
Linked PHAT guides for breathlessness and confidence
If breathing exercises make you feel nervous, it can help to understand the bigger picture: what breathlessness means, how anxiety and the lungs interact, and when to seek urgent help. These PHAT guides are designed to fit together as a pathway, so you can move at your own pace.
Explore related PHAT guides
- The Different Types of Breathlessness – What Your Body Might Be Saying
- Gentle Breathing Routines to Practise on Calm Days
- Breathlessness and Anxiety – Calming the Mind and Body Together
- Positions That Make Breathing Easier (Without Special Equipment)
- Walking with Lung Conditions – How to Pace Without Giving Up
- Understanding Oxygen, Saturations and Pulse Oximeters
- Preparing for a Lung Function Test or Respiratory Clinic Visit
- When to Seek Urgent Help for Chest Pain or Breathlessness
You can print any of these pages or show them on your phone or tablet in NHS appointments, so your clinicians can see the breath and movement work you are using between visits.
Trusted information and where to go next
PHAT breathing classes are a doorway into better understanding your lungs, heart and nervous system. For more detailed information about breathing exercises and long-term conditions, you can also look at NHS and UK charity resources.
Helpful NHS & charity resources
- NHS – Shortness of breath (dyspnoea)
- NHS – Physical activity guidelines for older adults
- Asthma + Lung UK – Breathlessness and your lungs
- British Heart Foundation – Online exercise and heart health
These links are for general education and self-management support. For individual advice about which breathing exercises are safe for you, always speak to your GP, respiratory or cardiac team, or NHS 111.
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