Can breathing exercises actually reduce how much medication you need?
The short answer is: the best evidence says no, not reliably. A large 2022 Cochrane review—which pooled data from 22 studies and 2,880 adults with asthma—explicitly stated that reduction in asthma medication use was not included as an outcome in the review, and that there is no evidence to support a reduction in medication use, exacerbations, or hospitalizations [2]. This is the most comprehensive analysis available, and it directly addresses your question.
Only one small study in this set reported a reduced need for bronchodilators. That study, involving 40 patients who used a flutter device for high-resistance breathing exercises, found a decrease in choking incidents and a reduced need for bronchodilators after two weeks [4]. However, this was a small, short-term study, and the effect was only maintained in patients who practiced regularly. No other study here measured or found a reduction in medication use.
What do breathing exercises actually help with?
Breathing exercises consistently improve quality of life and asthma control, even if they don't cut medication use. A large 2022 randomized trial of 193 patients with moderate-to-severe asthma found that adding breathing exercises to usual care improved asthma-related quality of life by a clinically meaningful amount (0.35 points on the Mini-AQLQ scale) at 6 months, and this benefit was sustained at 12 months [1]. The Cochrane review also found moderate-certainty evidence that breathing exercises improve quality of life (0.42 points on the AQLQ scale at 3 months) and reduce hyperventilation symptoms [2].
Several other studies reinforce this. A 2024 trial in children found that eight weeks of balloon-blowing breathing exercises significantly improved asthma control scores and respiratory muscle strength [5]. A 2022 study of 33 women with mild-to-moderate asthma showed that breathing exercises alone improved lung function (FEV1 by 20.7%) and that combining them with aerobic exercise produced even larger gains (FEV1 by 27.4%) [6]. A 2022 study of 20 adults found that breathing exercises improved quality of life and reduced activity limitations and asthma symptoms [7]. And a 2024 study of 84 children with asthma found that yoga breathing exercises improved quality of life scores from 69 to 79.4 out of 100 [8].
When do breathing exercises not help?
Breathing exercises are not a magic bullet, and they don't work for everyone or for every outcome. A 2024 randomized trial of 51 adults with moderate-to-severe asthma found that adding breathing exercises (Buteyko technique) to aerobic training did NOT improve asthma control, quality of life, anxiety, depression, sleep quality, or lung function compared to aerobic training alone [3]. This suggests that for people already doing aerobic exercise, adding breathing exercises may offer no extra benefit.
Also, the Cochrane review noted that the quality of evidence for many outcomes was low to very low due to differences in study methods, and that the improvements in quality of life, while real, were smaller than what is considered a minimal clinically important difference [2]. So while breathing exercises can help, the effect is modest and may not be noticeable for everyone.
About These Sources
This answer is built on 8 peer-reviewed studies — published from 2022 to 2024, 4 from 2024 or later, 3 in Q1 journals — selected as the most relevant from 10 studies that passed quality screening, drawn from 36 papers retrieved from a database of over 500 million.
Sources used in this answer
Breathing Exercises for Patients with Asthma in Specialist Care: A Multicenter Randomized Clinical Trial
In a randomized trial of 193 adults with moderate-to-severe asthma, adding breathing exercises to usual care improved asthma-related quality of life (by 0.35 points on the Mini-AQLQ at 6 months) and this benefit lasted to 12 months, with no increase in adverse events.
Breathing exercises for adults with asthma
This Cochrane review of 22 studies (2,880 adults) found moderate-certainty evidence that breathing exercises improve quality of life (0.42 points on AQLQ at 3 months) and reduce hyperventilation symptoms, but found no evidence that they reduce medication use, exacerbations, or hospitalizations.
Effects of Combined Aerobic and Breathing Exercises on Asthma Control: A Randomized Controlled Trial
In a randomized trial of 51 adults with moderate-to-severe asthma, adding breathing exercises (Buteyko) to aerobic training did not improve asthma control, quality of life, or lung function compared to aerobic training alone.
Rehabilitation therapy in asthma: focus on high-resistance breathing exercises
In a study of 40 adults with asthma, high-resistance breathing exercises using a flutter device for 14 days reduced the need for bronchodilators, improved lung function (FVC, PEFR), and reduced symptoms like cough and wheezing.
Enhancing Respiratory Muscle Strength and Asthma Control in Children with Asthma: The Impact of Balloon-Breathing Exercise
In a study of 30 children with asthma (ages 7-12), eight weeks of balloon-blowing breathing exercises improved respiratory muscle strength (MIP and MEP) and asthma control scores compared to baseline.
Influences of Breathing Exercises and Breathing Exercise Combined with Aerobic Exercise on Changes in Basic Spirometry Parameters in Patients with Bronchial Asthma
In a study of 33 women with mild-to-moderate asthma, 16 weeks of breathing exercises improved lung function (FEV1 by 20.7%), and combining them with aerobic exercise produced even larger gains (FEV1 by 27.4% and PEF by 30.7%).
The impact of breathing exercises on Quality of Life and anxiety in asthma patients
In a small randomized trial of 20 adults with asthma, one month of breathing exercises improved quality of life scores and reduced activity limitations and asthma symptoms, but did not affect anxiety levels.
The Effect of Yoga Breathing Exercises on Quality of Life in Children with Asthma
In a quasi-experimental study of 84 children with asthma (ages 5-11), two months of yoga breathing exercises improved quality of life scores (from 69 to 79.4 out of 100) compared to the control group.