Nose Breathing Exercises for Beginners: 7 Simple Drills to Retrain Your Breathing
Nose breathing exercises retrain your body to breathe through your nose instead of your mouth. The simplest way to start is a three-step routine: five minutes of breath awareness, slow nasal breathing at a comfortable pace, and short, gentle breath holds. Practise for ten minutes a day and most people notice easier nasal airflow within two to four weeks.
This guide gives you seven beginner-friendly drills, a four-week progression plan, and the mistakes that make new nose breathers give up too early.
Why train nose breathing at all?
Your nose is not just a backup airway. It filters and humidifies incoming air, warms it to body temperature, and produces nitric oxide, a molecule that helps widen blood vessels and may improve oxygen uptake in the lungs. Mouth breathing skips all of that.
Habitual mouth breathing is linked with dry mouth, disrupted sleep, and snoring. Many people who snore find that improving nasal airflow is the first practical step, which is why nasal training pairs well with the approaches in our guide to mouth taping for sleep.
Before you start: can you actually breathe through your nose?
Training only works if air can get through. Do this quick check first:
- Close your mouth and breathe through your nose for two minutes while sitting still.
- If you manage it comfortably, you are ready to train.
- If one or both nostrils feel blocked most days, deal with the blockage first. Persistent one-sided blockage, especially with facial pressure or frequent nosebleeds, deserves a medical assessment. A structural issue such as a deviated septum can limit what exercises alone can achieve.
The 7 beginner exercises
1. Breath awareness (week 1 foundation)
Sit upright, close your mouth, and simply notice your breathing for three to five minutes. Do not change it. Note where you feel the air: nostrils, chest, or belly. This sounds trivial, but most habitual mouth breathers have never observed their own default pattern. Awareness is what lets you catch daytime mouth breathing later.
2. Slow nasal breathing
Inhale through your nose for a count of four, exhale through your nose for a count of six. The longer exhale gently activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which is why this drill feels calming. Five minutes, once or twice a day.
3. The hum
Inhale through your nose, then exhale while humming softly. Humming dramatically increases nitric oxide release in the nasal passages. It also extends your exhale naturally without counting. Ten breaths per session.
4. Gentle breath holds
Breathe in and out through your nose normally, then after a relaxed exhale, pinch your nose and hold until you feel the first clear urge to breathe. Release and breathe calmly through your nose. This is a gentle version of exercises used in Buteyko-style breathing retraining. Never push to discomfort, and skip this drill if you are pregnant or have a heart condition unless your doctor approves.
5. Nostril switching
Close your right nostril with a thumb and breathe in through the left. Close the left, breathe out through the right. Reverse. This classic yoga drill (alternate nostril breathing) improves your tolerance of airflow through each side and highlights any asymmetry. If one side is always blocked, read our guide to breathing techniques for a healthy nose and consider a medical check.
6. Walking with nasal breathing
Go for a 15-minute walk breathing only through your nose. If you cannot keep up, slow down; the pace at which nasal breathing is comfortable is the right training pace. This becomes the bridge to running, which we cover in nasal breathing for athletes.
7. The daytime check-in
Set three phone reminders spread across the day. Each time one fires, ask: was my mouth open? Was my tongue resting on the roof of my mouth? Correct posture: lips together, tongue on the palate, breathing silent and slow.
Your 4-week progression plan
| Week | Daily practice | Goal |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Awareness (5 min) + slow nasal breathing (5 min) | Notice your default pattern; build the habit |
| 2 | Slow breathing (5 min) + humming (10 breaths) + 3 check-ins | Nasal breathing feels normal at rest |
| 3 | Add gentle breath holds (5 rounds) + one nasal-only walk | Comfortable nasal breathing during light movement |
| 4 | Full routine + extend walks to 20 minutes | Nasal breathing is your default, day and night |
Common beginner mistakes
- Forcing big breaths. Nasal training is about slower, quieter breathing, not deeper gulps. If you feel light-headed, you are overbreathing; ease off.
- Training through congestion. Fix the blockage first. A saline rinse before practice clears the way; our nasal rinse guide covers the safe technique.
- Expecting overnight results. The airway adapts over weeks. Most people notice clearer nasal airflow and calmer sleep somewhere between week two and week four.
- Skipping the night-time side. If you wake with a dry mouth, your night breathing has not caught up with your daytime training yet. That is normal, and it is where mouth taping (used carefully) or positional changes can help.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to switch to nose breathing?
Most beginners can breathe nasally at rest immediately and comfortably within a week of daily practice. Making it your default during sleep and exercise usually takes three to six weeks of consistent training.
Can nose breathing exercises help with snoring?
They can help when snoring is driven by mouth breathing or poor nasal airflow. They will not fix snoring caused by sleep apnoea, significant weight-related airway narrowing, or structural blockages. If your snoring includes gasping or witnessed pauses in breathing, speak to a doctor about a sleep assessment.
Should I breathe through my nose while exercising?
At easy and moderate intensities, yes, and it is a useful pacing tool. At high intensities almost everyone needs some mouth breathing, and that is fine. Build up gradually, starting with walking.
Is it normal for one nostril to be more blocked than the other?
Yes, within limits. The nasal cycle alternates airflow dominance between nostrils every few hours. A nostril that is always blocked, however, is not the nasal cycle and is worth having examined.
