SlowerA breath hold test times how long you can comfortably hold your breath after a normal breath out. Sit down, breathe quietly for a minute, breathe out as usual, then hold and stop the timer at the first definite urge to breathe. It is a way to track your own comfort with holding over time, not a measure of health.
How to do the test
- Sit down and breathe normally through your nose for a minute or two. No deep breaths beforehand.
- Take a normal breath in, and a normal breath out. Not a big one in either direction.
- Press Start hold and hold your breath. Pinch your nose if it helps.
- Press again at the first definite urge to breathe: a swallow, a twitch in your throat or belly, a clear thought of "I want air".
- Your next breath in should be calm. If you have to gasp, you held too long for this test.
That last point is what separates this from a contest. You are timing the comfortable part of the hold, not how long you can endure. Done properly it feels almost too easy.
What your time means
This test goes by a few names, including the control pause and BOLT. Teachers who use it often quote rough bands: under 10 seconds is short, 10 to 20 is moderate, 20 to 30 is fine, and around 40 is good. Treat those as folklore more than science. The test has been linked to symptom control in small asthma studies, but it has not been validated against measured carbon dioxide, and nobody can read your health from a number on a stopwatch.
What it is useful for is comparing you with you. Take it at the same time each day, mornings work well, and watch the trend over weeks. Some people who practice slow breathing regularly find the time creeps up. A lower number on a given day usually means a bad night, a cold or a stressful morning, and is no cause for concern.
Three ways to hold, and why the numbers differ
| Hold | How | Typical feel |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable hold (this test) | After a normal breath out, to the first urge | Short and easy. Tens of seconds. |
| Full-lung hold | After a big breath in, as long as you can | Much longer, and a test of willpower as much as anything |
| Hold after fast breathing | After 30 or so deep breaths, on empty lungs | Surprisingly long and oddly calm, because the urge to breathe is delayed |
Do not compare times across those three. The third kind in particular gives long holds for a reason that has nothing to do with fitness: deep, fast breathing lowers the carbon dioxide that triggers the urge to breathe. That is also what makes it risky around water.
Always sit or lie down for breath holds. Never practice holding your breath in or near water, in the bath, or while driving: blackouts can come with no warning. Skip breath-hold tests if you are pregnant, or have a heart condition, high blood pressure, epilepsy or a history of fainting. Stop if you feel unwell.
Getting more comfortable with holds
If you want your time to go up, long heroic holds are not the way to start. A steadier route is regular slow breathing: a few minutes a day at around six breaths a minute with the coherent breathing timer, or a pattern with gentle built-in holds like box breathing.
Questions people ask
How long should I be able to hold my breath?
There is no number you should hit. On this test, after a normal breath out and stopping at the first urge, times are much shorter than a full-lung hold: tens of seconds, not minutes. Compare your time with your own earlier times, not with anyone else.
Is this the same as the BOLT score or control pause?
Yes, it is the same procedure: a hold after a normal exhale, timed to the first definite urge to breathe. Those are names used by different teachers for the same test.
Should I take a deep breath first?
No. A deep breath or several fast ones before the hold makes the time longer and tells you nothing. Breathe normally for a minute, breathe out as usual, then hold.
Does a longer breath hold mean healthier lungs?
Not in any way you can rely on. The test has not been validated as a health measure. It mostly reflects how sensitive you are to the urge to breathe at that moment.
Is holding your breath safe?
A comfortable hold while seated is low risk for most healthy adults. Never hold your breath in or near water or while driving, and skip it if you are pregnant or have a heart, blood pressure or seizure condition.
How often should I test?
Once a day at most, at the same time of day, and look at the trend over weeks. Testing over and over in one sitting just makes the numbers noisy.
Sources
- Study of breath-hold time (control pause) and asthma control; notes the test is not validated against CO2. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10782792/
- Zaccaro et al. 2018: systematic review of slow breathing in healthy people. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6137615
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Last updated 11 November 2026. Written by the makers of Slower. This page is general information, not medical advice.