How others have overcome difficulties with the Breathing Retraining challenge.

“I used to get short of breath when out shopping in town, especially carrying heavy bags. Since I started focusing on my breathing I can keep going for so much longer. When I am getting out of breath I use the slow breathing techniques and find that my breathing slows down and I feel more comfortable. I also feel less worried about getting wheezy or short of breath.”

“I find the easiest time to think about my breathing is when I travel to work. I do slow breathing and breath holds on the train every morning while listening to relaxing music on my iPod. It helps me pass the time and distracts me from other commuters! Having a specific time to practise my breathing retraining helps me fit it into my routine. I could only hold my breath for 5 seconds to start with but now I can hold my breath for 20 seconds.”

“I’m breathing freely for the first time in my life; better breathing means you can do more in your daily life. The other thing I wanted to say is around persevering with the training – the results are worth it.”

“Recently I was ill with a chest infection and finding it hard to sleep at night as my breathing was so bad. Using the stomach breathing exercises for a couple of minutes really helped with my breathing and I was able to get to sleep. Now I’ve learnt this, I feel a lot more confident in being able to deal with my asthma when I get ill.”