Belly breathing, also called abdominal breathing or diaphragmatic breathing, is a technique to help you reduce your feelings of shortness of breath. Your abdomen should rise when you breathe in and lower as you breathe out.

Pursed-lip breathing can assist by improving ventilation, releasing trapped air from lungs, keeping airways open longer, and much more.

COPD is a disease that limits airflow when you exhale. Special breathing techniques can help patients empty their lungs to prepare for their next breath in. Some of the most common breathing techniques are pursed-lip breathing and belly (diaphragmatic) breathing.