Skip to main content
Home Home

Main utility

  • Contact
  • Donate
  • Careers

Main navigation

  • Locations

    Life-threatening emergencies

    Call 911

    Emergency departments

    • Hospitals:
      • All hospitals
      • Banff
      • Bonnyville
      • Camrose
      • Castor
      • Edmonton
      • Killam
      • Vegreville
      • Continuing care:
        • All care centres
        • Banff
        • Bonnyville
        • Castor
        • Edmonton
        • Killam
        • Lethbridge
        • Medicine Hat
        • Mundare
        • St. Albert
        • Trochu
      • Services
        • Conditions and treatments:
          • Continuing care
          • Emergency departments
          • Heart and stroke
          • Mental health
          • Outpatient clinics
          • Palliative care
          • Surgery
          • View all services
          • Care for:
            • Children
            • Families
            • Seniors
            • Women
          • News and events
          • Join our team
            • Find your next role
              • Current openings
              • Physicians
              • Students
              • Job shadows
              • Volunteers
              • Working at Covenant Health
                • Why work at Covenant Health
                • Explore our communities
                • Hiring process

                Top Employer 2025

                Proud to be one of Alberta's top employers.
                 

                Learn more

              • About
                • Who we are:
                  • Mission
                  • Diversity and inclusion
                  • Environmental sustainability
                  • Awards and recognition
                  • Corporate information:
                    • Governance
                    • Capital projects
                    • Publications and reports
                    • Innovation:
                      • Centres and institutes

                      Top Employer 2025

                      Proud to be one of Alberta's top employers.
                       

                      Learn more

                    What are you looking for?

                    Breadcrumb

                    • Home »
                    • Locations »
                    • Misericordia Community Hospital »
                    • Osteoporosis program »
                    • Osteoporosis program guide »
                    • Breathing

                    Breathing

                    Sidebar Navigation

                    • Opportunities
                    • Hiring process
                    • Benefits
                    • Explore our communities
                    • Board of directors
                      • Tim Spelliscy
                      • Hon. Ed Stelmach, AOE, ECA
                      • Carole Anctil-Michalyshyn
                      • Stuart Cullum
                      • Wendy Dugas
                      • Karl Germann
                      • Brian Hjlesvold
                      • Colette Miller
                      • Hon. Tyler Shandro, ECA
                      • Meghna Singh
                      • Most Rev. Richard Smith, Archbishop of Edmonton
                      • Greg M. Yuzwa
                    • Employment agreements
                      • Out of scope associate physicians
                    • Ethics and Discernment Centre
                      • Services
                        • Request a consultation
                      • Resources and publications
                      • News and events
                      • About
                    • Explore our communities
                      • Banff
                      • Bonnyville
                      • Camrose
                      • Castor
                      • Edmonton
                      • Killam
                      • Lethbridge
                      • Medicine Hat
                      • Mundare
                      • St. Albert
                      • Trochu
                      • Vegreville
                    • Financial reporting
                      • Compensation disclosure
                      • Financial statements
                    • Mission
                      • Areas of emphasis
                      • Clinical psychospiritual education
                      • Service Through Christ Award
                    • Palliative Institute
                      • Projects
                      • Resources
                        • People and communities
                        • Healthcare providers
                        • Researchers
                      • Compassionate Alberta
                        • Plan ahead
                        • Learn about palliative care
                        • Build community support
                        • Talk about death and dying
                        • Order our resources
                      • News and events
                        • Palliative Care Education and Research Conference
                        • ECHO Hub
                        • In the news
                      • Publications
                      • About
                      • Contact
                    • Physicians
                      • Opportunities
                      • Appointments and privileging
                      • Bylaws and rules
                      • Explore our communities
                    • Research Centre
                      • Services
                      • Resources
                      • Conducting research
                        • Review and approval process
                        • Research ethics
                        • Quality improvement
                        • Research data management
                        • Research opportunities
                      • News and events
                      • About
                    • Senior leadership team
                      • Patrick Dumelie
                      • Graham Barsi
                      • Sarah Cameron
                      • James Liebenberg
                      • Lisa Munro
                      • Jennifer Olson
                      • Jon Popowich
                      • Rosa Rudelich
                      • Dr. Cliff Sample
                      • Bonnie Tejada
                      • Scott Baerg
                      • Linda Chow-Turner
                      • Karen Macmillan
                      • Jo Ann Molloy
                      • Trevor Small
                    • Student placements
                      • Types of placements
                      • Before you apply
                      • Apply
                      • Get ready
                    • Volunteer services
                      • What to expect
                      • Apply
                      • National Volunteer Week
                      • Explore our communities
                      • Volunteer login
                      • Contact
                    • Breastmilk for NICU babies
                      • Your preterm baby
                      • Breastmilk basics
                      • Expressing and pumping
                      • Cleaning and sanitizing feeding supplies
                      • Storing and thawing breastmilk
                      • Feeding your baby in the NICU
                      • When you go home
                      • Breastfeeding
                    • Caring for yourself and your newborn
                      • Getting help
                      • Caring for yourself
                      • Caring for your baby
                      • Breastfeeding
                      • Screening for your baby
                      • Resources
                    • Elective C-section
                      • Eating and drinking before surgery
                      • Getting ready
                      • Anesthesia
                      • Operating room
                      • Recovery
                    • Employment agreements
                      • AUNP
                      • AUPE auxiliary nursing
                      • AUPE general support services
                      • AUPE St. Therese Villa
                      • CUPE Local 41 general support services
                      • CUPE Local 408 general support services for St. Joseph’s Home
                      • CUPE Local 408 general support services for St. Michael’s Health Centre
                      • CUPE Local 2111 general support services
                      • HSAA general support services for Bonnyville Health Centre
                      • HSAA paramedical professional and technical
                      • IUOE
                      • Out of scope
                      • Out of scope associate physicians
                      • Paramedical professional Bonnyville Health Centre
                      • UNA
                      • USW
                    • Facing a miscarriage
                      • Spontaneous miscarriage
                      • Medical management
                      • Dilation and curettage
                      • Comparing options
                    • Having your baby
                      • Hospital information
                      • Your role in your care
                      • Obstetrical care before labour
                      • What to bring to the hospital
                      • Arriving at the hospital
                      • Labour and delivery
                      • After the birth
                      • Going home
                    • New employees
                      • Submit essential documents
                      • Get ready for your first day
                      • Complete once you have network access
                    • Northern Alberta Vascular Centre
                      • Preparing for your vascular procedure
                      • Resources
                        • Patient and visitor guide
                        • Vascular disease prevention
                      • About
                    • Osteoporosis program guide
                      • Understanding osteoporosis
                      • Posture
                      • Back care
                        • The basics
                        • Moving safely
                        • Lifting safely
                      • Fall prevention
                        • Footwear and foot care
                      • Exercise
                        • Introduction to execise
                        • Breathing
                        • Posture
                        • Strengthening
                        • Aerobics
                        • Balance
                        • Walking pattern
                      • Resources

                    Breathing exercises help your ribcage mobility and teach you how to breathe well. 

                    Warmup

                    1. Lie on your back.
                    2. Place your hands lightly on your belly. Make a “V” with your hands and place your thumbs just above your navel and point your fingertips towards the pubic bone. 
                    3. Feel your body movement as you breathe. Close your eyes so that you can feel the movement better.
                    4. Pretend that you have a balloon in your belly. As you breathe in, blow up the balloon. As you breathe out, deflate the balloon. Press out against your hands as you breathe in and then press in gently with your hands to help the breath out.

                    Practice this technique for five to 10 minutes (or longer) before and after your exercise session.

                    Low ribcage breathing

                    1. Place your hands lightly on the sides of your rib cage, fingertips pointed up. 
                    2. As you breathe in, expand the lower ribs against your hands. 
                    3. As you breathe out, press gently with your hands to help the breath out.

                    Upper ribcage breathing

                    1. Place your hands high up on your chest, just below the notch between the collar bones.
                    2. As you breathe in, expand the upper ribs against your hands. 
                    3. As you breathe out, press gently with your hands to help the breath out.

                    Three-part breathing

                    1. Place one hand on your lower belly and the other hand on your upper rib cage. 
                    2. As you breathe in, expand the belly first, then the lower rib cage, then the upper rib cage. 
                    3. Reverse the movement on the breath out.

                    Share

                    Locations

                    • Banff
                    • Bonnyville
                    • Castor
                    • Camrose
                    • Edmonton
                    • Killam
                    • Lethbridge
                    • Medicine Hat
                    • Mundare
                    • St. Albert
                    • Trochu
                    • Vegreville

                    Quick Links

                    • Contact
                    • About
                    • Services
                    • News and events
                    • Careers

                    We acknowledge that what we refer to as Alberta is the traditional ancestral territory of a diversity of Indigenous peoples and home to Treaty 6, 7 and 8. We recognize and give thanks to the many First Nations, Métis and Inuit who have lived in and cared for these lands for generations, all who continue to grace these lands and all future generations. We make this acknowledgement as an act of reconciliation and gratitude.

                    • Covenant Health - Home Covenant Care website (external link) Covenant Living website (external link) Covenant Foundation (external link)

                    © 2025 Covenant Health. All rights reserved.

                    Footer Utility

                    • Privacy statement
                    • Terms of use
                    • Staff login
                    • Health Link 24/7 health advice
                    • My Health Alberta