BellyGOAT

How It Works

Belly breathing, explained in the words of the medical sources. Sources accessed October 6, 2026.

This page is for information only and is not medical advice. BellyGOAT is not a medical device and does not diagnose, treat, cure, or monitor any condition. Quotes are from the organizations named; they did not review or endorse BellyGOAT.

The goal: belly breathing as your everyday pattern

BellyGOAT exists to help you practice belly breathing until it is simply how you breathe. The sources support that goal. The VA's clinical guide says:

"Natural, effortless breathing using the diaphragm is optimal for breathing most of the time, except perhaps during certain limited situations where sympathetic arousal (the fight or flight response) is truly helpful." VA Whole Health Library [2]

And the Cleveland Clinic says of practice:

"with continued practice diaphragmatic breathing will become automatic." Cleveland Clinic [1]

What healthy everyday breathing looks like

NHS physiotherapy services teach breathing retraining to people with breathing pattern disorders. Their patient leaflets describe the healthy pattern this way:

"A normal or optimal breathing pattern should be a gentle, silent, rhythmic average sized breaths with an in breath through the nose using the diaphragm (lower chest muscle) at a rate of 12 to 16 breaths/minute and a relatively still upper chest movement." Cambridge University Hospitals NHS [6]
"Breathing is an automatic function which can be consciously altered. At rest our breathing should be calm, quiet and efficient. Our breathing then naturally adapts to meet the demands of the situation" University Hospitals Birmingham NHS [7]

Sources give slightly different numbers for a normal resting rate. The Cleveland Clinic lists 12 to 18 breaths per minute for adults [10]; Harvard Health says "At rest, most adults take about 12 to 18 breaths per minute" [5]; NHS leaflets give ranges from 8–12 to 12–16 [6, 8]. Several also describe or teach a slight pause after the out-breath [7, 8, 13].

The Mayo Clinic Health System sums up where the breath should come from:

"Relaxed breathing should originate primarily from the diaphragm, with little movement of the chest and shoulders." Mayo Clinic Health System [3]

How belly breathing is taught

The steps below are the Cleveland Clinic's, quoted directly [1]:

  1. "Lie on your back on a flat surface or in bed, with your knees bent and your head supported. You can use a pillow under your knees to support your legs."
  2. "Place one hand on your upper chest and the other just below your rib cage. This will allow you to feel your diaphragm move as you breathe."
  3. "Breathe in slowly through your nose so that your stomach moves out, causing your hand to rise. The hand on your chest should remain as still as possible."

Sources agree on the in-breath: slowly, through the nose, belly rising, chest still. They differ on the out-breath. The Cleveland Clinic and Harvard Health teach breathing out through pursed lips [1, 4]; the NHS stress guide says "Try breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth" [12]; NHS physiotherapy leaflets teach breathing out through the nose [8]; and the Mayo Clinic Health System says "it doesn't matter whether you breathe through your nose or your mouth" [3]. Many also recommend making the out-breath longer than the in-breath [8, 13, 14].

Practice sessions vs. everyday breathing

There are two different things here, and it matters not to mix them up.

Practice sessions are short, deliberate, and slower than normal. BellyGOAT's guided sessions start at 4 seconds in and 6 seconds out, which is 6 breaths per minute, and you can change it: 4 in and 4 out, or your own count from 3 to 6 seconds in and 3 to 8 seconds out, with an optional short rest after the out-breath. Harvard Health describes slow breathing as "anywhere from six to 10 breaths per minute and features a prolonged exhalation" [5]. We default to a longer out-breath because the NHS leaflets and the VA guide above teach one, and the VA guide says to "Adjust the numbers so that the exercise is comfortable and not stressful" [2]. The exact counts are still our design choice, not a prescription from any source.

Everyday breathing is not meant to run at a fixed slow count. It is meant to be relaxed belly breathing at a natural rate that changes with what you are doing:

"Remember your breathing will change according to your activity level." Royal Berkshire NHS [8]

Practice is how you teach your body the pattern. The everyday goal is the pattern itself, not the practice pace.

From practice to habit

Sources describe the same basic path: learn the technique at rest, then practice it in more positions and activities until it carries into daily life.

"Practice as often as you can. Try little and often, i.e. few minutes every hour. Progress to doing this exercise while sitting, then standing and then walking. Your body will adapt to this natural way of breathing." Royal Berkshire NHS [8]
"In addition, ask them to practice off and on throughout the day and in a variety of positions (this is to encourage generalization)." VA Whole Health Library [2]
"As you get more comfortable breathing from your belly, you can try it when you're more active, such as walking." Mayo Clinic Health System [3]
"It is possible to re-train your breathing pattern, initially learning to control the symptoms when resting, before progressing onto maintaining the correct pattern of breathing during your day-to-day life." North Bristol NHS [11]

How much practice? Recommendations vary: the Cleveland Clinic suggests "five to 10 minutes about three to four times per day" at first [1]; the VA guide, "5-10 minutes, twice daily" [2]; an NHS leaflet, "2-3 minutes every hour" [9].

How long does it take? The sources are honest that it is gradual:

"Breathing patterns can be a very strong habit forged over many years and change needs time and reinforcement." VA Whole Health Library [2]
"It can take weeks to months for some people to eventually change their breathing as it may have become habitual for you." Royal Berkshire NHS [8]

How BellyGOAT follows this path

BellyGOAT is not a breathing-retraining program prescribed by a physiotherapist and has not itself been studied. If you have breathing symptoms, the sources recommend seeing a professional: "Ask your physiotherapist or healthcare professional about the right techniques for you to use." Asthma + Lung UK [14]

What the research does and does not show

Slow breathing and belly breathing have been studied, mostly in small trials and reviews, and the authors are careful about what they found:

"Based on this narrative review, the exact usefulness of DB in clinical practice is unclear due to the poor quality of studies. However, it may be a feasible and practical treatment method for various disorders." Hamasaki, 2020 [15]
"A 2019 review of 3 studies, with a total of 880 participants, found preliminary evidence suggesting that diaphragmatic breathing exercises may help to reduce stress." NIH, National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health [16]
"Relaxation techniques are generally safe, but there is limited evidence of usefulness for specific health conditions." NIH, National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health [17]

We make no health claims for BellyGOAT. If you are interested in breathing for a specific condition, such as blood pressure, talk to your doctor, and don't change any medicine without them.

Safety

"Any sense of feeling light-headed is a sign of trying too hard or over breathing, and effort should be decreased." VA Whole Health Library [2]
"If you have a condition like COPD, asthma or anxiety, talk to your provider about diaphragmatic breathing to see if it's right for you." Cleveland Clinic [1]
"Some individuals become much more anxious when they focus on their breathing, and other techniques may be more appropriate." VA Whole Health Library [2]

In BellyGOAT, a safety reminder is shown and spoken before every session: practice should feel easy, and if you feel lightheaded, stop and breathe normally. If it keeps happening, talk to your doctor before you continue.

Sources

  1. Cleveland Clinic. Diaphragmatic Breathing. Last updated March 30, 2022.
  2. VA Office of Patient Centered Care and Cultural Transformation, Whole Health Library. The Power of Breath: Diaphragmatic Breathing (PDF, written for clinicians).
  3. Crockett R. Mayo Clinic Health System. How belly breathing benefits your body, mind. March 4, 2024.
  4. Harvard Health Publishing. Learning diaphragmatic breathing. February 8, 2020 (archived).
  5. Harvard Health Publishing. Breathing exercises to lower your blood pressure.
  6. Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Breathing pattern disorders and physiotherapy.
  7. University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust. Breathing Pattern Disorder (PDF). July 2025.
  8. Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust. Breathing pattern disorders advice and exercises (PDF). May 2026.
  9. University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust. Breathing pattern disorders.
  10. Cleveland Clinic. Vital Signs. Last updated March 15, 2023.
  11. North Bristol NHS Trust. Breathing Pattern Disorder – Physiotherapy appointment. May 2024.
  12. NHS. Breathing exercises for stress.
  13. Physiopedia. Breathing Pattern Disorders.
  14. Asthma + Lung UK. How can I manage my breathlessness?
  15. Hamasaki H. Effects of Diaphragmatic Breathing on Health: A Narrative Review. Medicines. 2020.
  16. NIH, National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Relaxation Techniques: What You Need To Know.
  17. NIH, National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Things To Know About Relaxation Techniques for Stress.