I tried a 10-minute breathwork session and it improved my mood immediately
Reclaim your calm with this 10-minute breathing exercise


Start your week with achievable workout ideas, health tips and wellbeing advice in your inbox.
Thank you for signing up to Fit And Well. You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
I often feel overwhelmed during the working day and exercise helps me destress. But I generally don't have time for a full yoga class or a HIIT session during my lunch break, so I thought I'd give a short breathwork session a go.
Breathwork can take many forms, but the basis of it is slow intentional breathing. Usually, it involves diaphragmatic breathing, or belly breathing, where you inhale deeply to ‘fill up’ the belly. Doing a session is a bit like learning how to meditate, as it helps you focus on one thing and draws your attention to the present moment.
I found a recent routine created by Yoga With Adriene, a popular yoga instructor who posts videos to YouTube, that only takes ten minutes. So I rolled out my best yoga mat, put my laptop to one side and took ten minutes to follow the breathwork.
Watch Yoga With Adriene's breathwork routine
Sitting down and breathing for ten minutes probably seems like an easy thing to do, but it was more challenging than I anticipated. Immediately after sitting down in a cross-legged position, I found myself fidgeting and unable to relax.
Adriene says that fidgety people can lie down for the session, but she also says that sitting upright can help deepen the breath, so I decided to master my restlessness and do this instead.
The first section of the video is focused on belly breathing, which involves breathing down into your belly as you inhale and up out of your belly as you exhale. I found that concentrating on this sensation felt unusual at first, but after a while focusing in this way actually helped me relax.
After this, Adriene walked through a series of exercises that mix up the breathing tempo, combining longer inhales with shorter exhales, then vice-versa.
Verdict
I felt far more calm at the end of the routine than I did at the start and found that I was less fidgety and more able to concentrate, which is good as I had to go back to my desk for the afternoon.
One other benefit of this routine is that sitting up straight without anything to lean on for ten minutes forced me to think about my posture, and encouraged me to stop slouching when I got back to my desk. It actually helped improve my mind-body connection.
I'll definitely be adding breathwork routines like this one into my routine, especially during the working day, along with other stress-management methods. But I'll still incorporate fast-paced sessions, like HIIT cross training workouts, which also pump up my mood and keep my cardio fitness in check.
Get the Fit&Well Newsletter
Start your week with achievable workout ideas, health tips and wellbeing advice in your inbox.

Alice Porter is a freelance journalist covering lifestyle topics including health, fitness and wellness. She is particularly interested in women's health, strength training and fitness trends and writes for publications including Stylist Magazine, Refinery29, The Independent and Glamour Magazine. Like many other people, Alice's personal interest in combining HIIT training with strength work quickly turned into a CrossFit obsession and she trains at a box in south London. When she's not throwing weights around or attempting handstand push-ups, you can probably find her on long walks in nature, buried in a book or hopping on a flight to just about anywhere it will take her.
-
-
What are Fitbit Active Zone Minutes?
Tech Tracking your heart rate—using a device like a Fitbit—can help you monitor the intensity of your cardio workouts
By Madeline Muzzi Published
-
Build strength all over and boost your metabolism with these six dumbbell exercises
Workout This 20-minute workout is great if you prefer to exercise at home
By Alice Porter Published
-
I tried this equipment-free workout and it helped me build strength and stability in my legs and core
Workout The low-impact routine fired up my quads, hamstrings and calves
By Alice Porter Published
-
I tried this physical therapist's hip strengthening routine to make me a better runner
Workouts These three hip strengthening moves could improve your functional fitness
By Lois Mackenzie Published
-
I added this four-move finisher to my workout and it fired up my core
Challenge Core finishers are a great way to burn out your muscles and build strength
By Alice Porter Published
-
I tried this three-minute warm up before my upper body routine and my workout has never felt better
Workouts Warm up your body, prepare your muscles for exercise and reduce your chance of injury with this simple six-move sequence
By Lois Mackenzie Published
-
I skipped the gym and tried this couch workout instead, and I was impressed with the results
Workout This is a useful lazy day routine for building leg strength and boosting flexibility
By Alice Porter Published
-
I tried this 10-minute mobility routine, and it soothed my muscles and strengthened my joints
Workout Do these five moves every day and you'll soon see an improvement in your mobility
By Harry Bullmore Published
-
This dumbbell core workout only took me 10 minutes but it put my strength to the test
Workout Just five moves and a dumbbell helped me strengthen my abs, obliques and arms
By Alice Porter Published
-
This three-move recovery stretching routine mobilized my entire body
Workout If you want to increase your flexibility, try this five minute cool down
By Alice Porter Published