Breathing Exercises for Lung Health and Recovery After Illness or Surgery

Urgent first

Recovery from a chest infection or surgery should be monitored by a clinician. The NHS (UK) lists struggling to breathe, chest pain that comes and goes or happens with breathing or coughing, and feeling short of breath among the signs of pneumonia that need medical attention, with its emergency number (999) for people who are choking, gasping and unable to speak. [1] In the US, call 911 if breathing difficulty comes on suddenly or interferes with breathing and even talking. [2] Do not use breathing exercises to wait out worsening symptoms.

Where this page fits

"Lung health" is often marketed as a goal for healthy people, with lung "detox" or "cleanse" claims. This page does not make such claims; none of the sources we read supports them. It covers two clinical situations where breathing exercises or breathing devices are studied: around surgery and during recovery after illness such as pneumonia or COVID-19. For people with long-term lung disease, see breathing exercises for COPD and asthma. Reduced breathlessness is covered on our page about shortness of breath.

Around surgery

MedlinePlus says a provider may recommend an incentive spirometer after surgery or when you have a lung illness such as pneumonia, to help you take slow deep breaths. [3] It also says that if you have a cut in the chest or belly, holding a pillow against your belly while breathing in can ease discomfort. [3] The device instructions have specific steps, including a pause after a breath in; follow only what your own surgical or respiratory team teaches you, and read our page on incentive spirometers for what they measure.

1. Spirometer after upper abdominal surgery

   Insufficient evidence

   12 studies, 1,834 people: no evidence it prevented lung complications; low-quality evidence, poorly reported trials [4]

2. Spirometer after lung resection

   Promising but limited (mixed study types)

   Shorter hospital stay (1.8 days) and fewer complications in pooled analysis of 5 trials and 3 cohort studies [5]

3. Breathing-muscle training before cardiac or major abdominal surgery

   Promising but limited

   12 trials, 695 people: less atelectasis (partly collapsed lung) and pneumonia, shorter stay; no adverse events in 8 reporting trials; blinding impossible, publication bias possible [6]

4. Breathing exercises before lung cancer surgery

   Promising but limited

   10 studies: shorter stay and less pneumonia; 8 combined breathing training with aerobic exercise; no difference in lung function, mortality or quality of life [7]

A pattern worth noting: results depend on what is tested and on which surgery. The "breathing exercise" in several trials is a supervised muscle-training program, not a relaxation exercise.

After pneumonia

The NHS says most people with pneumonia get better in two to four weeks, and lists rest and fluids as things you can do. [1] The pages we read do not describe breathing exercises for recovery. Proper evidence not found for home breathing exercises after pneumonia: we searched PubMed for reviews and trials on breathing exercises and recovery and did not find a pneumonia-specific review to cite.

After COVID-19 and long COVID

The NHS says there is no cure for long COVID and that care teams may include physiotherapy and exercises to help with breathing. [8]

• Inspiratory muscle training. In a trial of 281 adults about nine months after COVID-19, an eight-week home program was compared with a waiting list. The main quality-of-life score did not differ between groups, but breathlessness measures improved with training, and the authors noted the high dropout rate means no one strategy suits everyone. [9]
• Rehabilitation overall. A review concluded evidence on pulmonary rehabilitation for exercise capacity and lung function in mild COVID-19 and post-COVID condition was very uncertain. [10]
• Simple breathing exercises alone: Proper evidence not found in the sources we read.