In the moment
The extended exhale walk
Walk normally, but make every out breath longer than the in breath
10 min
How to do it
Walk at your usual pace. As you go, breathe in for two steps and out for four. Nothing else changes, just the ratio of the breath.
What the evidence says
A longer exhale than inhale is the part of paced breathing that lowers heart rate and calms the nervous system, and doing it while walking layers a second, well established mood lift from movement on top. Neither changes flash frequency, the paced breathing trial found no advantage there, so this is worth doing for how the walk leaves you feeling.
