1. Stand or sit up straight. Bend forward slightly at the waist. (Breathing while bending forward at the waist may make it easier for you to breathe.) Keep your back straight. If you are standing, you may want to rest your hands on the edge of a table or the back of a chair.
2. Breathe in slowly through your nose, with your mouth closed. Breathe in for about 2 seconds.
3. Pucker your lips like you would to blow out a candle. Then breathe out slowly through your lips for 4 to 6 seconds.
4. Repeat the steps for about 10 minutes at a time, 3 or 4 times a day.

As you get more comfortable doing this breathing exercise, you can also do it to feel better when you are short of breath.

Pursed-lip breathing helps you breathe more air out so that your next breath can be deeper. It makes you less short of breath and lets you be more active.