Breathing exercises are designed to improve lung function and endurance in patients with lung diseases or injuries. They are often combined with medications, drainage, and exercise. Goals include improving ventilation, cough effectiveness, and mobility while preventing complications. Types of breathing exercises include diaphragmatic breathing, segmental breathing targeting different lung areas, and pursed lip breathing. Precautions are taken to avoid forced exhalation or using accessory muscles.

1. By : Dr. Jigar Mehta

3. Breathing Exercise
Breathing exercises are only part of a
treatment program designed to improve
pulmonary status & to improve a patient’s
overall endurance and function in ADLs.
Depending on patient’s clinical problem,
breathing exercises are often combined
with medications, postural drainage, and
graded exercise program.

4. Indications
Acute or chronic lung diseases e.g. COPD, etc.
Pain in thoracic or abdominal area because of
surgery or trauma.
Deficits in CNS that lead to muscle weakness
Severe orthopedic abnormalities e.g. Scoliosis
Stress management and relaxation procedure

5. Goals
 Improve ventilation
 Increase the effectiveness of cough
mechanism
 Prevents pulmonary complications
 Maintain or improve chest & thoracic spine
mobility
 Improve the strength, endurance & co-
ordination of respiratory muscles.
 Promote relaxation
 Improve patient overall functional capacity

6. Principles
• Area of exercises
• Explanation & Instruction to the patient
• Patients position
• Evaluate the patient
• Demonstration of exercise
• Patient practice

7. Precautions
• Never allow a patient to forced expiration.
• Don’t allow a patient to take a very prolonged
expiration.
• Don’t allow a patient initiate inspiration with the
accessory muscles.
• Avoid hyperventilation.

8. Types of Breathing Exercise
Three types are commonly used:
• Diaphragmatic breathing exercise
• Segmental breathing exercise
• Pursed lip breathing exercise

9. Diaphragmatic breathing exercise

10. Segmental breathing exercise
• It is important to emphasize expansion of the
localized area of the lung while keeping other
area quiet.
• Four types of segmental breathing exercise are:
Lateral costal expansion
Posterior basal expansion
Right middle or lingula expansion
Apical expansion

11. Segmental breathing exercise

12. Segmental breathing exercise

13. Pursed lip breathing exercise