Functional vs. Dysfunctional Breathing: Why Functional Breathing Matters

Functional vs. Dysfunctional Breathing
Breathing is something we all do without thinking, yet it plays a huge role in our health and well-being. Many people do not realize that the way they breathe every day can either help or harm their body and mind.  
Understanding the distinction between functional and dysfunctional breathing is important, as it can clarify why individuals may experience fatigue, stress, or anxiety without an apparent cause.
Functional breathing means breathing in a way that supports your body’s natural needs. Dysfunctional breathing happens when your breathing pattern becomes irregular or inefficient. This can lead to problems like breathlessness, poor sleep, and low energy. 
The Oxygen Advantage functional breathing method is a popular and trusted way to learn how to breathe better. It teaches simple techniques that help restore natural, healthy breathing and improve overall health.

What Is Functional Breathing?

Functional Breathing benefits
Functional breathing means breathing that supports the body’s natural physiology. It is light, soft, slow, and mostly through the nose. The breath comes from the diaphragm, the large muscle below the lungs, rather than from the chest. This kind of breathing matches your body’s needs, whether you are resting or active.
A key component of functional breathing is nasal breathing. Breathing through the nose helps filter and warm the air, improves oxygen delivery, and keeps your breathing calm and balanced. Functional breathing capacity refers to how well you can breathe efficiently during various activities.
Some common functional breathing techniques include:
  • Breathing lightly to avoid taking in too much air  
  • Slowing your breathing to about 8 to 10 breaths per minute  
  • Using your diaphragm to expand your belly and lower ribs  
  • Keeping your breath soft and quiet
These techniques help you breathe in a way that feels natural and supports your health.

Functional Respiratory Test: The BOLT Score

The BOLT score, or Body Oxygen Level Test, is a simple functional breathing test that measures how well your breathing is. It shows how long you can comfortably hold your breath after a normal exhale. This helps indicate if your breathing is efficient and healthy.
To measure your BOLT score:
  1. Take a normal, quiet breath in through your nose.  
  2. Exhale quietly through your nose.  
  3. Hold your nose to stop airflow and time how many seconds pass until you feel the first strong urge to breathe.  
A higher BOLT score reflects greater breathing control. Healthy adults and athletes typically achieve scores of 20 seconds or more. Lower scores, such as 10 to 15 seconds, may indicate breathing difficulties, including asthma, anxiety, or dysfunctional patterns.
The optimal time to assess your BOLT score is in the morning, immediately after waking, when breathing is most natural and relaxed. Consistent practice of functional breathing exercises can improve your score and promote easier, calmer breathing throughout the day.

What Is Dysfunctional Breathing?

Dysfunctional Breathing
Dysfunctional breathing means breathing patterns that are not working well for your body. This can include breathing through your mouth instead of your nose, breathing too fast, or using only the upper chest instead of the diaphragm.
Signs of dysfunctional breathing include: 
  • Mouth breathing  
  • Fast or irregular breaths  
  • Frequent sighing or yawning  
  • Feeling like you cannot get enough air
Dysfunctional breathing impacts both physical and mental health, leading to symptoms such as dizziness, frequent air hunger, headaches, anxiety, difficulty concentrating, chest or throat tightness, muscle aches, tingling sensations, and fatigue.
Furthermore, sleep disturbances, shortness of breath during exercise, cold extremities, and digestive discomfort resulting from poor diaphragm movement. Addressing these patterns can help alleviate these symptoms.

Why Functional Breathing Matters: Benefits and Impact

Restoring functional breathing can have many positive effects on your body and mind.
There are so many benefits of functional breathing. When you breathe functionally:
  • Your diaphragm works better, increasing lung capacity  
  • Air flows smoothly and quietly through your nose and lungs  
  • Your body keeps the right balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide  
  • Your nervous system calms down, reducing stress  
  • Your sleep quality improves, helping you feel more rested  
  • Your mental focus and clarity increase  
  • Physical exercise feels easier and less tiring.
The Oxygen Advantage Functional Breathing program uses simple exercises to help you retrain your breath. These exercises improve your breathing efficiency, reduce breathlessness, and help calm your mind. 

Functional Breathing and the Oxygen Advantage Body Pillar

In the Oxygen Advantage method, functional breathing forms the foundation of the Body pillar. This approach focuses on four key practices:
  • Breathe Light: Gently reducing the volume of air you breathe  
  • Breathe Slow: Taking fewer breaths per minute to calm your system  
  • Breathe Deep: Engaging the diaphragm and stabilizing the ribs  
  • Nasal Breathe: Breathing through the nose as the essential cornerstone.
These practices help retrain your natural daily breathing so it supports your body instead of working against it. Functional breathing is gentle, safe, and suitable for nearly everyone. It helps restore your body’s natural breathing rhythm. 

Why Functional Breathing Is Very Safe

Functional breathing is a very gentle form of breath training. It does not involve:
  • Hypoxia (lack of oxygen)  
  • Strong or forced breath holds  
  • Deliberate stress or discomfort  
  • Heavy air hunger  
  • Hyperventilation
Instead, it focuses on restoring a normal breathing rhythm that follows the body’s natural physiology. It prioritizes nose breathing, keeps air hunger mild, and works with your nervous system rather than against it. This makes it safe for almost everyone.
Functional breathing supports better sleep, digestion, mental clarity, and physical performance. Think of it as maintaining your body’s breathing “software,” gently returning it to balance without pushing or forcing. 
Check out the online breathing courses that focuses on functional breathing by Oxygen Advantage.

Guidelines for Practicing Functional Breathing

Here are simple and safe guidelines for practicing functional breathing:
  • Keep breathing through your nose whenever possible and comfortable  
  • Breathe lightly, reducing air volume without forcing air hunger  
  • Slow your breathing gently, aiming for fewer breaths per minute without strain  
  • Breathe low and quiet to encourage diaphragm use  
  • If your nose feels blocked, try gentle nose-decongestion exercises first  
  • Always keep your breathing gentle; never force or strain  
  • If you feel uncomfortable, return to easy nasal breathing and relaxed awareness.
You can practice these techniques:
  • While sitting  
  • During daily activities  
  • Before sleep  
  • During light movement  
  • In moments of stress  
  • During warm-ups and cool-downs
Functional breathing is not meant to be stressful or intense. It is simple, quiet, and restorative.

How to Become a Functional Breathing Practitioner or Instructor

If you want to help others improve their breathing or deepen your own knowledge, consider joining the Oxygen Advantage Functional Breathing Instructor Training (Level 1) with Patrick McKeown.
This internationally recognized, self-paced course provides the knowledge and skills to safely teach the foundational techniques of Oxygen Advantage. 
The course focuses on the Body pillar, teaching practical, science-backed breathing methods to improve focus, reduce stress, and build physical resilience. It is ideal for health professionals, fitness trainers, wellness coaches, and anyone interested in breathwork. 
Thousands of certified instructors around the world have completed this training. You will learn how to assess breathing patterns, teach functional breathing exercises, and guide people safely through breath training.
The course includes lifetime access and certification, so you can learn at your own pace and confidently share these techniques. 

Practical Functional Breathing Exercises and Training

You can start practicing functional breathing exercises today. Here are some simple techniques:
  • Nasal breathing: Breathe only through your nose, even when resting or moving slowly.  
  • Light breathing: Take smaller, softer breaths to avoid overbreathing.  
  • Slow breathing: Aim for about 8 to 10 breaths per minute by gently slowing your inhales and exhales.  
  • Diaphragmatic breathing: Place a hand on your belly and feel it rise and fall with each breath.
These exercises help restore your natural breathing rhythm. You can do them while sitting, walking, or before sleep. With regular practice, your breathing will become more efficient and calming.

Why Choose Functional Breathing?

Understanding the difference between functional and dysfunctional breathing is important for your health. Functional breathing supports your body’s needs, reduces stress, improves sleep, and helps you feel more energetic and focused. Dysfunctional breathing can cause many common health problems and reduce your quality of life.
Choosing to practice functional breathing can make a big difference in how you feel every day. If you want to learn more or help others, consider taking a certified functional breathing course like the Oxygen Advantage Instructor Training. It is a safe and effective way to improve breathing and overall well-being.
Start your journey with functional breathing today and experience the benefits for yourself.