A very small trial suggests that adding coached breathing exercises to resistance training may improve some lung and circulation measurements more than resistance training alone. The results are encouraging, but they come from 28 young women and do not establish benefits for older adults or clinical heart outcomes.
What changed
Participants completed supervised exercise three times weekly for eight weeks. Both groups improved several blood-pressure, cholesterol, lung-function, and fitness measures. Compared with resistance training alone, the breathing-plus-training group improved more on selected measures including central aortic systolic pressure, vital capacity, maximal ventilation, anaerobic threshold, and peak oxygen pulse.
How strong is the evidence?
This was a randomized human exercise trial, newly peer reviewed on November 14, 2026. The study was registered August 30, 2024, and an earlier preprint appeared that year. Supervised training strengthens adherence, and the authors reported no competing interests.
What remains uncertain
With only 28 participants, chance findings are possible—especially across many outcomes. The study did not include a no-exercise comparison in the published abstract, and it measured short-term risk markers and fitness, not heart attacks, disability, or longevity. Young Chinese women with overweight do not represent every population.
Why it matters
Breathing practice is inexpensive and may complement—not replace—strength training. Larger trials should test whether the added changes matter clinically. Readers interested in home strength work can also see our resistance-band article.
Sources
Peer-reviewed study in Scientific Reports, published November 14, 2026; 2024 preprint record.
Illustrative stock photo by CATHY PHAM on Unsplash. It does not show the trial participants, breathing protocol, training sessions, or results.
