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Lateral Costal Breathing
Positions & Range of Motion
- Start
- seated upright with hands resting on the lower lateral ribs, shoulders relaxed
- End
- lower ribs expanded sideways into the hands on inhale without any chest lift or shoulder shrug, then settling back on exhale
- Range of Motion
- lateral rib-cage (costal) expansion through the breathing cycle — minimal limb or spinal joint excursion
How to Perform
Place hands on the lower lateral ribs. Breathe so that the ribs expand sideways into your hands rather than the chest lifting upward. Targets lateral intercostal expansion and the diaphragmatic zone of apposition.
Opens a YouTube search for “Lateral Costal Breathing”
Coaching Cues
- 1
Feel the ribs push your hands sideways — shoulders stay relaxed
(tactile) - 2
No chest lift, no shoulder shrug on inhale
(verbal)
Evidence-Based Dosing & EMG Data
5–10 cycles × 2–3 rounds, daily.
Muscles Involved (3)
Primary Movers
Synergists & Assistors
Easier Variations ↓
Side-Lying
Lie on one side; the up-side ribs are easier to feel expanding.
Harder Variations ↑
Quadruped
Perform on hands and knees with hand on lateral ribs — gravity makes the upper side easier to isolate.
Why This Exercise Matters
Everyday activities this exercise helps you do — essential means it directly trains the capacity the task needs:
Research Notes
Standard component of breathing retraining in dysfunctional breathing/hyperventilation syndrome. Shifts from upper-chest accessory-muscle patterns to lower-chest diaphragmatic and costal expansion [Jones 2013 Cochrane].