Most of us breathe on autopilot—shallow, inefficient, and unaware of how much better it could be. But breathing isn’t just about survival; it’s a skill that can be trained and strengthened. The way we breathe affects everything from oxygen absorption to nervous system regulation, yet most of us rely on vertical breathing—lifting the chest with each inhale—without realizing how much it limits our lung capacity.

Elite swimmers, singers, and deep-sea divers understand this. They train their breath for endurance, efficiency, and control, using horizontal breathing—expanding the diaphragm and ribcage—to maximize oxygen intake with minimal effort. The good news is you don’t have to be an athlete to benefit from the same principles. Whether it's to improve performance, reduce anxiety, or simply breathe easier, training your respiratory system can transform the way your body takes in and uses oxygen. 

The Right Way to Breathe

Most of us breathe without thinking about it. But how we breathe matters. Vertical breathing, the instinctive habit of lifting the chest with each inhale, is inefficient and restrictive. It forces the neck and shoulder muscles to do extra work, limits lung expansion, and subtly signals stress to the body. Over time, it can leave you feeling breathless, tense, and tired without knowing why.

Horizontal breathing is different. Instead of pulling air up into the chest, it expands outward—engaging the diaphragm, opening the ribcage, and allowing for full, controlled oxygen exchange. This is how trained singers sustain powerful notes without strain, how elite swimmers stay calm under pressure, and how deep-sea divers push their limits without panicking. It’s also the way we are all meant to breathe.

A simple trick to shift from vertical to horizontal breathing is to push your shoulders down while you inhale. This inhibits the neck muscles from engaging, forcing the diaphragm to do its job. 

Diaphragmatic Breathing: The Lungs' Secret Weapon

Most of us barely use our diaphragm, even though it’s the body’s primary breathing muscle. Instead, we rely on weaker accessory muscles in the neck and chest, taking quick, shallow inhales that never fully expand the lungs. This inefficient pattern limits oxygen intake, fuels tension, and keeps the body in a low-grade stress state. But when we breathe from the diaphragm, everything changes.

Diaphragmatic breathing—also called belly breathing—allows for deeper, more controlled oxygen exchange. Instead of lifting the chest with each inhale, the diaphragm contracts and moves downward, pulling air deep into the lungs. This shift doesn’t just improve oxygen efficiency; it also activates the vagus nerve, signaling the parasympathetic nervous system to slow heart rate, lower blood pressure, and reduce anxiety.

How to Train Your Diaphragm for Stronger Breathing

1. Find your breath: Place one hand on your chest and the other on your belly.
2. Inhale deeply through your nose, expanding your belly while keeping your chest still.
3. Exhale slowly through pursed lips, feeling your belly fall.
4. Practice daily: Start with 5 minutes a day, gradually increasing as diaphragmatic breathing becomes second nature.

Take it Straight from the Breathing Professionals

Elite swimmers and professional singers have one thing in common: they rely on breath control to perform at their peak. They don’t just take deeper breaths—they take smarter ones, using precise techniques to maximize lung capacity, increase oxygen efficiency, and sustain endurance under pressure. Their methods aren’t just for professionals; they offer a blueprint for anyone looking to strengthen their lungs and improve breath control.

How Swimmers Train Their Lungs

Water is an unforgiving environment. Every breath has to be timed perfectly, and every ounce of oxygen must be used efficiently. That’s why swimmers develop exceptional breath control through techniques like:

Breath-hold training: Practicing controlled breath-holds increases CO₂ tolerance, training the body to function with less frequent inhalations.

Exhaling fully underwater: Clearing out stale air before taking a new breath ensures fresh oxygen intake with every inhale.

How Singers Build Breath Control

A powerful voice starts with powerful breath support. Singers train their lungs to sustain long phrases and control airflow with precision. Their most effective techniques include:

Rib expansion drills: Developing flexibility in the ribcage allows for greater lung expansion.

Appoggio technique: A classical singing method that stabilizes breath support by engaging the diaphragm rather than relying on the chest or throat.

Straw breathing exercises: Singing through a narrow straw adds resistance, strengthening respiratory muscles and improving airflow control.

Strengthen Your Lungs with a Spirometer

Breathing is automatic, but lung strength isn’t. Just like any other muscle, the respiratory system benefits from targeted training, but if you want a visual tool to measure progress and strengthen your lungs with structured resistance, a spirometer can take your training to the next level. Used by athletes, musicians, and patients recovering from illness, this device enhances breath control by introducing controlled resistance, forcing the lungs to work harder with each inhale.

A Spirometer is Simple but Effective.

Inhale deeply through the mouthpiece, raising the indicator to the recommended level, then hold for a few seconds before slowly exhaling, allowing the lungs to empty completely. Repeating this cycle several times a day strengthens respiratory muscles, builds endurance, and enhances the body’s ability to take in and utilize oxygen more efficiently. 

The Holy Grail of Breathwork: Turning Off Stress at the Source

Breathing isn’t just about getting oxygen in and carbon dioxide out—it’s the master switch for your nervous system. Every inhale and exhale sends signals to the brain, either reinforcing stress or shutting it down. This is why breathwork isn’t just calming—it’s the key to controlling how your body responds to the world.

At the center of it all is the sympathetic nervous system—your body’s fight-or-flight response. It’s automatic, built for survival, and always ready to kick into high gear when danger is near. The problem? In modern life, this system is stuck in overdrive, constantly reacting to deadlines, notifications, and daily pressures as if they were life-threatening emergencies. Chronic shallow breathing fuels this stress loop, keeping the body in a low-grade panic state even when nothing is wrong.

But here’s the game-changer: you can turn it off.

How Breathwork Shuts Down Stress at Its Source

The parasympathetic nervous system is the antidote to stress—the body's built-in “rest-and-digest” mode. And the fastest way to activate it? Breathing deeply, slowly, and intentionally.

Longer exhales = Instant calm: Exhaling longer than you inhale signals safety to the nervous system, flipping the switch from fight-or-flight to relaxation.

Diaphragmatic breathing = Stress override: Expanding the belly with each inhale and letting it fall naturally trains the body to default to deep, efficient breathing—even in high-pressure situations.

Vagus nerve activation = Nervous system control: Slow, controlled breaths stimulate the vagus nerve, lowering heart rate and blood pressure while neutralizing stress hormones.

The Whole Point of Breathwork

This is why breath training matters. It’s not just about lung capacity or oxygen efficiency—it’s about physiological control over stress itself. The better you breathe, the better you regulate your nervous system. And when you can control your nervous system, you can control:

Your emotional state—calm on command, no matter the situation.

Your energy levels—relaxed when you want to be, alert when you need to be.

Your resilience—stress no longer controls you; you control it.

Conclusion

Breathing is the one function you can’t live without, yet few people ever think to train it. Shallow breathing keeps the body tense and reactive, reinforcing stress and inefficiency, whereas deep, diaphragmatic breathing does the opposite, improving oxygen flow, calming the nervous system, and restoring balance.

Mastering your breath isn’t about taking in more air—it’s about using it more effectively. Swimmers and singers don’t breathe harder to build endurance; they breathe smarter, training their lungs to work efficiently under pressure. The same principle applies to daily life. A well-trained breath means less stress, greater focus, and the ability to stay composed no matter the situation—whether you’re competing, performing, or simply navigating the demands of the day.

Your breath sets the rhythm for everything else. Breathe well, and your energy, clarity, and resilience will follow.