Singing for Lung Health: Gentle Practices That Support Breathing
What if supporting your lungs didn’t require intense workouts, but thoughtful, evidence-based vocal exercises instead?
Breathing sits at the centre of both singing and wellbeing. Over the past decade, researchers have explored how singing can benefit people with respiratory conditions — and the results are consistently promising. Structured “Singing for Lung Health” (SLH) programmes have been shown to improve breath control, stamina, and quality of life for participants, even when traditional lung-function measures remain unchanged.
This post outlines what the science says and shares the key types of practices used in research to help you understand how singing can support healthy breathing.
What the research shows
Singing for Lung Health (SLH) programmes were first developed for people with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) — a long-term condition that causes airflow limitation, breathlessness, and reduced exercise tolerance. Since then, studies have extended to asthma, bronchiectasis, interstitial lung disease, and long-COVID.
Key findings include:
Improved quality of life and reduced breathlessness:
Systematic reviews of SLH programmes report significant improvements in participants’ perceived breath control and overall wellbeing, along with reduced anxiety and social isolation.Comparable benefits to exercise training:
A randomised controlled trial found that a structured SLH course was non-inferior to conventional pulmonary-rehabilitation exercise for improving six-minute-walk distance in people with COPD.Feasible for home practice:
Recent research shows that online or remote SLH sessions can yield similar improvements in quality of life and breathlessness to in-person groups.Mechanism:
Although spirometry values such as FEV₁ (Forced Expiratory Volume in one second) — the amount of air a person can forcibly exhale in the first second after a full inhalation — rarely change, participants consistently demonstrate better breathing patterns, respiratory-muscle coordination, and exhalation control. The benefits appear functional rather than structural.
Why singing benefits the respiratory system
From a physiological perspective, singing alters how we breathe:
Breath pattern and timing
Singing encourages deeper, more coordinated inhalation and controlled, extended exhalation — patterns associated with improved gas exchange and reduced sensations of breathlessness.Respiratory-muscle engagement
The diaphragm, intercostal and abdominal muscles are recruited in a regulated way. Over time, this acts as low-intensity “resistance training” for these muscles, supporting respiratory efficiency.Autonomic-nervous-system balance
Slow, steady exhalation has been shown to activate the parasympathetic (“rest-and-digest”) response, lowering heart rate and stress hormones.
Singing can therefore support both physiological and psychological relaxation.Semi-occluded vocal tract (SOVT) exercises
Sounds such as humming, lip trills, or straw phonation create gentle back-pressure in the vocal tract, improving airflow stability and reducing strain on the vocal folds.
In essence, these coordinated patterns help the lungs operate more efficiently without adding physical strain.
Gentle practices commonly used in Singing for Lung Health
Research-based programmes often draw from a core group of gentle, accessible vocal activities that focus on breath control, efficiency, and relaxation. These may include:
Humming and sustained gentle tones – to promote slow, controlled exhalation.
Pursed-lip or vowel-based breathing – to stabilise airflow and maintain airway pressure.
Semi-occluded vocal tract exercises (such as lip trills or straw phonation) – to improve vocal efficiency and reduce strain.
Short, simple song phrases – to coordinate breath with sound and gradually extend stamina.
Soft descending sighs or quiet vocal slides – to release upper-body tension and lengthen the exhale.
Awareness of posture and movement – supporting optimal lung expansion and relaxation.
These exercises are adaptable for all levels and can be integrated into everyday life as part of a broader singing or wellbeing routine.
Summary
Decades of research now support singing as a meaningful adjunct to respiratory-health programmes. While it does not replace medical treatment, structured, low-intensity vocal exercises can:
improve breath control and coordination
reduce perceived breathlessness
enhance quality of life and mood
support relaxation through slower exhalation
These outcomes have been repeatedly documented in clinical populations and are relevant for anyone seeking more efficient, conscious breathing.
A few minutes of gentle vocal work — even something as simple as humming or soft phrasing — can contribute to better breathing habits and overall wellbeing.
References
Lord, V. M., Hogg, L., et al. (2016). Singing for Lung Health: A systematic review of the literature. BMJ Open Respiratory Research.
Kaasgaard, M., et al. (2022). Singing training versus physical exercise training for patients with COPD: a randomised, controlled, single-blind trial. BMJ Open.
Philip, K. E. J., et al. (2024). Online Singing for Lung Health: A multicentre randomised controlled trial. Thorax.
McNaughton, A., et al. (2017). Singing for Lung Health: Mechanisms of benefit and implementation considerations. European Respiratory Review.
Ma, X., et al. (2020). The effect of diaphragmatic breathing on physiological and psychological outcomes: a narrative review. Frontiers in Psychology.
Titze, I. R., et al. (2006). Voice training and semi-occluded vocal tract exercises: theoretical and practical aspects. Journal of Singing.
Guzman, M., et al. (2013). Semi-occluded vocal tract exercises: Aerodynamic and electroglottographic measurements in healthy subjects. Journal of Voice.
Bonilha, A. G., et al. (2009). The influence of singing on pulmonary function and quality of life of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. International Journal of COPD.
