The Power of the Exhale: Teaching Young Athletes to Breathe for Performance
- Neil Wattier
- Apr 20
- 4 min read
By: Neil Wattier, Mental Coach for Athletes, Parents, and Coaches
The fastest way to change how you feel is to control how you breathe.
But not all breathwork is created equal—and when it comes to calming the mind, focusing attention, and managing emotions under pressure, the exhale matters most.
When young athletes are told to “just calm down,” it usually comes with little explanation or guidance. But teaching athletes how to regulate their breath—specifically through controlled, extended exhales—gives them real tools to control their body, focus, and emotions, all of which influence performance.
Let’s explore the science behind deliberate breathing and why the long exhale is one of the most powerful (and underused) tools in youth sports.
“Calm mind brings inner strength and self-confidence.”
— Dalai Lama
Your Athlete’s Nervous System: Why Breathing Works
The autonomic nervous system controls automatic body functions like heart rate, digestion, and stress responses. It has two key branches:
Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS): This is the “fight or flight” response. When activated, it increases heart rate, tightens muscles, and heightens emotional reactivity—great for survival, but not for performing under pressure.
Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS): Think Parachute--this is the “rest and digest” system. It helps the body recover, regulate emotions, and maintain focus and control.
These systems are like a seesaw—and breathing, especially how we exhale, determines which system takes control.
The Exhale and the Vagus Nerve
When an athlete takes a deep, controlled breath and then extends the exhale, they stimulate the vagus nerve—a critical pathway connecting the brain to the body and plays a key role in activating the PNS.
This long exhale triggers a physical and mental calm-down response:
Slows heart rate
Relaxes muscles
Lowers cortisol (stress hormone)
Improves focus and attention
Releases emotional tension
In essence, the long exhale helps reset the system—especially after mistakes, during high-pressure moments, or in preparation for performance.
Emotions, Energy, and the Inverted-U
Why does this matter for young athletes?
Because emotional regulation is hard, especially in competitive settings. Frustration, embarrassment, nervousness, and anger aren’t just mental—they’re deeply physical. They spike energy levels and activate the SNS, pulling athletes into the red zone: hyper-aroused, unfocused, and emotionally reactive.
The Inverted-U Hypothesis proposed by Yerkes & Dodson explains peak performance occurs at a moderate level of arousal—not too flat, not too amped. Extended exhale breathing helps athletes find and stay in that optimal zone by regulating both energy and emotion.
It’s not about removing pressure or ignoring emotions—it’s about giving athletes the tools to navigate them.
The Breathing Technique: Quick Inhale, Long Exhale
Rather than promoting techniques like box breathing, which emphasize equal breath ratios, I teach a simple, effective method emphasizing the most important part: the exhale.
Here’s how to do it:
Modified 4-7-8 Breathing (or Simply Quick–Hold–Slow)
Inhale deeply through the nose for 4 seconds (or quick and strong if in motion)
Hold for 1–2 seconds
Exhale slowly through the mouth for 6–8 seconds (or more for deeper relaxation)
Repeat for 3–5 breaths, or as needed
This type of breathing can be done in almost any setting—before a serve, after a missed shot, during a timeout, or even walking up to the tee box.
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When to Use It
Breathwork is most effective when it’s practiced regularly and built into routines. Here are a few ways to integrate the exhale into sport:
Pre-Performance: Use 2–3 rounds of breathing to lower nerves and center focus before games, shots, or routines.
Post-Mistake Reset: After an error or frustrating play, one long exhale helps interrupt emotional spirals and creates space to refocus.
In Practice: Teach and reinforce breath control during warmups, recovery drills, or water breaks. Make it part of training—not just crisis control.
Post-Game Recovery: A few rounds of breathing post-performance can help bring the system back into balance for better physical and mental recovery.
Focus, Attention, and Mental Control
The long exhale doesn’t just calm the body—it clears the mind. When athletes focus on their breath, they’re anchoring attention in the present moment. That’s vital when competing, especially for athletes prone to overthinking, worrying, or replaying mistakes.
Breathing acts like a mental reset button, bringing awareness back to the body and back to what matters now—not what just happened, or what might happen next.
Exhale Is the Skill, Calm Is the Outcome
Parents and coaches often encourage calm, but forget to teach the how. Breathing—especially through the deliberate exhale—is the foundation of emotional regulation, energy management, and consistent performance.
It’s not flashy. It’s not complicated. But it works.
So the next time your athlete is frustrated, tense, or unfocused, don’t just say “breathe.”
Say: “In through the nose, long slow exhale.”
Then watch how their body and mind follow.
It’s the simplest tool we have—and often the one that makes all the difference.
Powerful individualized coaching addresses many complex performance challenges.
Every athlete has specific performance needs and goals.
Carefully tailored training plans guide each athlete to their desired results.
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