Turns Out, a Long, Dramatic Sigh Is Good for You. We Asked the Pros to Explain Why

Think of the last time you let out just the biggest sigh in the world. How did it feel to emit all of that air (and some of your emotions) out of your lungs? Pretty good, right? Well, what if we told you that you could actually harness the power of your sighs to help reduce stress, improve your mood, and maybe even level up your workouts? 

That’s right: Recent research has found that a specific form of sighing—cyclic sighing, to be exact—can have some surprising benefits for your mental and physical well-being. If you’re feeling skeptical, we don’t blame you. Below, experts break down exactly what the practice involves and how beneficial cyclic sighing breathing could actually be for your health. 

What Is Cyclic Sighing? 

Cyclic sighing is a type of controlled breathing exercise, says Norma Garcia, a licensed therapist based in Los Angeles. Essentially, you breathe in through your nose to fill up your lungs, take another “sip” of breath in, then slowly exhale everything through your mouth—making a long, audible sigh as you do so, she says. 

Sighing in general has been studied for decades, Garcia says—it’s considered to be a spontaneous reflex that is distinct from other kinds of breathing activity. Sighing is often triggered by arousal (meaning that your body is activated physically or emotionally) or behavioral changes, and research shows that your body may use sighing as a way to help reset to other states—like between stages of sleep, or from stressed to less stressed. (More on that in a bit.) 

However, cyclic sighing is different from just the garden-variety sighing you do before bedtime (or when faced with a mountain of work) because it’s consciously done—you’re making a choice to sigh, rather than making that sound on instinct. But Garcia says the double inhalation plus the emphasis on the big audible exhale in cyclic sighing also sets this method apart from your standard deep breathing exercise (like box breathing or 4-7-8 breathing). “This specific type of breathing was recently shown to have really great benefits,” she adds.

Benefits of Cyclic Breathing

Cyclic sighing, along with other breathing techniques, was the subject of a 2023 study published in the journal Cell Reports Medicine. And it turns out, there are quite a few potential benefits to this type of meditative breathing:

1. It Can Reduce Stress

Garcia says that big exhales, as you do with cyclic sighing, activates your body’s parasympathetic nervous system, which signals your body to “rest and digest.” This can be a helpful counterbalance to when you’re stressed (which activates the “fight or flight” sympathetic nervous system). The noise of the sigh, Garcia adds, is “what really activates your shift from this fight-or-flight [state] to more of a restful one.” 

In fact, the 2023 study looking at cyclic sighing found that people doing breathwork every day had significant reductions in anxiety and negative mood, as did meditation and other types of breathing exercises. 

2. It Can Improve Your Mood

Interestingly, the 2023 study mentioned above found that people doing cyclic sighing also noticed the biggest increases in positive emotions. (That makes sense: Don’t you feel good when you’re less stressed?).

The study authors theorized that “intentional control over breath with specific breathing patterns produces more benefit to mood than passive attention to one’s breath.” And interestingly, cyclic sighing’s positive impact on mood increased the more consistent people were with the practice. 

3. It Can Slow Your Breathing (In a Good Way)

You know when you’re stressed or panicked, and your breathing starts to speed up? That’s an anxiety response, and cyclic sighing can help with that. The 2023 study found that people who practiced cyclic sighing experienced the greatest reductions in respiratory rate, compared to people who performed other types of breathwork or mindfulness meditation. Slower breathing is linked to lots of positive benefits, including increased relaxation and alertness and decreased symptoms of anxiety and anger. (That makes sense, given the other benefits of cyclic sighing above!)

4. It Might Improve Your Digestion

Remember how we said that deep breathing (like sighing) activates that “rest and digest” system? Well, Garcia says that cyclic sighing, like other kinds of deep breathing, may help with digestion. While there’s currently no research explicitly connecting cyclic sighing with improved digestion, it’s possible that its benefits are comparable to other kinds of controlled deep breathing. 

For instance, a 2020 review in the journal Medicines found that diaphragmatic breathing (another type of deep breathing) may help improve chronic constipation (among other health issues). Study authors suggest that’s because this breathing practice may stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system, which helps with bowel motility and other digestive functions (although more research is needed). 

5. It Helps You Be Aware of Your Body 

Breathwork helps support interoception, which is the awareness of your own bodily sensations. “Breathing is your ultimate reminder that you’re alive and of your present moment,” explains Peloton instructor Mariana Fernández. That sounds simple, but interoception is key to everything from fitness to mental well-being. Being able to understand what you’re physically feeling (like discomfort, muscle tension, or a fast heartbeat) may help you know whether you need to self-regulate and try to de-stress. 

How to Practice Cyclic Sighing

Cyclic sighing is fairly straightforward, but if you’re looking for a step-by-step how-to, here are a few tips that are great for beginners and breathwork pros alike, courtesy of Mariana and Garcia: 

When Should You Try Cyclic Sighing?

“I like to think of [cyclic sighing] as a lifestyle,” Garcia says. Ideally, someone would incorporate it in their daily routine to help them stay regulated, she says. She personally likes starting off her day with cyclic sighing or other breathing exercises to get centered and calm before life stressors like email, school drop-offs, and the latest news headlines hit like a ton of bricks. 

But cyclic sighing can also be incorporated strategically in specific situations to help you reduce stress, get ready for bed, or even help with workout recovery, Garcia says. For example, say your boss just dumped a huge project on your plate or gave you some really harsh feedback. Cyclic sighing “can help you calm and reduce whatever emotions that you’re experiencing,” she says. Garcia adds that she often sees it incorporated into warm-up or cooldown routines for yoga and Pilates. 

Mariana adds that breathing exercises like cyclic sighing help her stay grounded and present during even the toughest of workouts. “It gives you a sense of control and activation that’s not harsh on your body,” she says. 

And while cyclic sighing is typically associated with exercise recovery, Mariana even relies on the method when she’s running as a way to regain control of her breath. 

The Takeaway

A cyclic sigh involves taking a deep breath in through your nose, adding a second “sip” of air, and then exhaling with sound through your mouth. Like other breathing techniques, cyclic sighing can be a great way to help you manage stress and anxiety both in the moment and proactively. Cyclic sighing breathing may also help support your workouts (particularly your cooldowns). So the next time you feel like letting out a big sigh, know that you’re doing a solid for your physical and emotional health.