Do you sometimes feel like you’re short of breath? It could be due to health issues like asthma, or perhaps anxiety, but sometimes we simply don’t know how to breathe properly. Yes, it’s possible to get something as simple as breathing wrong, but you’ll be pleased to discover that you can learn how to control your breathing rhythm and make it more efficient. One way to do this is through the Buteyko Method—a breathing technique developed in the 1950s by a Ukrainian doctor named Konstantin Buteyko, designed to change our breathing patterns. Professionals who practice this method claim it can help treat about 150 different health issues, including diabetes, attention difficulties, and chronic fatigue. While these claims lack comprehensive, evidence-based proof, there are some recent studies that have demonstrated the benefits of the Buteyko Method for specific conditions. Today, we’ll present those to you, along with a guide to performing the method and warnings for people who should avoid it.
2 Proven Benefits of the Buteyko Method
Before we dive into the details of performing the method, let’s understand what it has been proven to do for the body and why it might be worth adopting for some people. Once you master this breathing technique, you’ll be able to breathe more efficiently, which can prevent feelings of shortness of breath and coughing, and even clear your airways. This has two benefits proven by studies:
1. Regulating Breathing During Asthma and Anxiety Attacks
There are moments in life that cause us to over-breathe—a condition medically known as "hyperventilation." This often happens during an asthma or anxiety attack, where the body expels a lot of carbon dioxide but takes in little oxygen, leading to a drop in blood oxygen levels. The Buteyko Method was actually developed specifically to address this issue. Indeed, it was proven in a 2018 study to help regulate breathing during an asthma attack.
Another study conducted with 200 participants and published in 2000 even showed that it could reduce the need for an inhaler when participants watched a video demonstrating the method and practiced along with it—compared to participants who watched a placebo method video. Additionally, a 2008 study demonstrated that people who learned the Buteyko Method (without a video) were better able to control their asthma symptoms and also reduced their inhaler use.
2. Reducing the Risk of Sleep Apnea
A 2019 study showed that the Buteyko Method helps treat people with eustachian tube obstruction, which is often linked to sleep apnea, and a study published in 2020 proved that relieving pressure and obstruction in the eustachian tube indeed helps prevent sleep apnea. However, it’s worth noting that in the first study, the best results were seen in participants who also used steroid nasal drops, more so than those who relied solely on nasal drops without the breathing technique. To achieve such results, you need to practice the Buteyko Method regularly until it becomes a natural habit and part of your life.
In addition to these proven benefits, we’ll mention again that advocates of the method claim it may also contribute to widening the bronchial tubes and easing shortness of breath symptoms associated with asthma and other chronic lung diseases. It’s said to help prevent snoring, allergies, high blood pressure, and concentration difficulties, but as noted, these are not proven or substantiated benefits at this time.
How to Perform the Buteyko Method?
This method can help in the moment you need it, such as when you’re experiencing shortness of breath, but it’s even more effective if practiced daily. In fact, some doctors treat breathing difficulties with a series of personal training sessions. To make this habit an integral part of your life, it’s recommended to practice for 15-20 minutes, 3 times a day, over 6 weeks. Here’s how to do it:
1. Preparation
Sit on the floor or a chair.
Keep your back straight and upright.
Relax your breathing muscles—the diaphragm and intercostal muscles.
Breathe normally for a few minutes.
2. Controlled Pause
Exhale air calmly, then hold your breath (without inhaling).
Use your finger and thumb to pinch your nose closed.
Continue holding your breath until you feel the urge to inhale (this may cause involuntary diaphragm movements), then inhale.
Breathe normally for at least 10 seconds.
Repeat this several more times.
3. Maximum Pause
Exhale air calmly, then hold your breath (without inhaling).
Use your finger and thumb again to pinch your nose closed.
Hold your breath for as long as you can—roughly twice as long as in the previous step.
When you reach a point of moderate discomfort, inhale air.
Breathe normally for at least 10 seconds.
Repeat this several more times.
Tips for Beginners
When performing the Buteyko Method, always inhale and exhale through your nose only.
If you start to feel shortness of breath, high levels of discomfort, or anxiety, stop the exercise immediately and return to normal breathing.
The more you persist and practice the exercise, the longer you’ll be able to hold your breath. If you reach a point where the controlled pause lasts a minute and the maximum pause lasts 2 minutes, that’s excellent.
Who Should Avoid Trying the Buteyko Method?
Despite the benefits of this breathing technique, it’s not suitable for everyone, and it’s recommended to avoid it if you suffer from:
High blood pressure
Heart disease
Epilepsy
Severe health conditions
If you’re concerned, it’s best to consult a doctor knowledgeable in this area—typically an ENT specialist or a physician trained in the Buteyko Method—before starting self-treatment like this. You can also try other breathing techniques that can help you address breathing-related issues in additional ways.
In Summary
The Buteyko Method has been proven to help primarily those who suffer from shortness of breath due to asthma or anxiety, or from sleep apnea. It can be performed during an episode of shortness of breath or practiced regularly to naturally improve breathing, even during sleep. If you want to see good results and enhance your breathing, you should practice it 3 times a day for 6 weeks, and it might also be advisable to meet a few times with a specialist doctor who can personally teach and guide you.
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