How Breathwork Helps Olympians and Taylor Swift

Breathing: It’s necessary to literally stay alive—and some of the world’s most successful also credit it with their physical and mental stability. No, really—Taylor Swift’s trainer Kirk Myers told us previously of the pop star “One thing that’s important to focus on when you’re working on your core strength is actually breathing. I know it’s outside the box, but fully breathing through workouts helps strengthen your core.”

French Olympic swimmer (and world record holder) Leon Marchand recently went on the record about breathwork, saying that he uses a technique focused on slow and even breathing through the nose to help him stay calm and focused in high-pressure moments.

Leon Marchand at the Paris 2024 Olympics

Adam Pretty/Getty Images

Studies show that a slow, deep breathing technique can increase relaxation and alertness while simultaneously decreasing anxiety and depression. There’s also Pranayama Fire Breath—the forceful exhalations through tensing the abs, which has been found to help with cognitive function.

Regardless of how you’re doing it, clearly taking a breath can do much more for your body than the surface-level function. So take a moment to notice how you’re doing it—and try channeling Swift or Marchand’s technique to see what it can do for you.