Yoga and exercise for sleep apnea

Regular exercise and breathing practices can help with sleep apnea, mainly by reducing weight, strengthening the upper airway muscles and improving sleep quality. They can lower severity in mild to moderate cases, but they do not replace CPAP or other treatment where needed.

Helpful activities

• Brisk walking, swimming, cycling and other aerobic exercise on most days. Exercise reduces sleep apnea severity even with little weight loss.
• Strength training two days a week, to support weight and metabolism.
• Yoga practice including gentle asanas such as mountain pose, cat-cow, bridge pose, cobra and child's pose, which may improve breathing and relaxation.
• Pranayama such as alternate nostril breathing (Anulom Vilom), bhramari (humming bee breath) and slow diaphragmatic breathing. Small studies show that yoga breathing can modestly reduce snoring and mild sleep apnea.
• Throat and tongue exercises (oropharyngeal exercises), such as tongue slides, pressing the tongue against the roof of the mouth, and singing or blowing exercises, done daily for several weeks.

How to practise

• Start with 10 to 15 minutes and build up.
• Practise breathing exercises in a relaxed, seated position, without forcing or holding the breath for long.
• Exercise in the morning or early evening. Avoid vigorous exercise within two to three hours of bedtime, which can make sleep harder.

Things to avoid

• Forceful breath holding or fast breathing if you have heart disease, high blood pressure or lung disease, unless a doctor agrees.
• Exercise to exhaustion if you are very sleepy or have untreated severe apnea. Sleepiness raises the risk of falls and accidents.

Ayurvedic view (interpretive) Yoga is traditionally used to reduce Kapha, support weight loss and improve breathing. Research suggests benefit, though studies are small.

Safety Stop and seek medical help for chest pain, severe breathlessness or fainting. Do not drive when drowsy.

Remember Regular movement helps, but keep using CPAP or other prescribed treatment.