How to lower your heart rate before a breath hold

I used to watch my heart rate monitor during breathe-ups and get frustrated. 85 bpm. 82. 80. Still too high. Then I’d start my hold already annoyed, which obviously made everything worse.

Here’s the thing: your heart rate determines how fast you burn through oxygen. At 90 bpm you’re consuming roughly 30% more oxygen than at 60 bpm. That’s a significant chunk of your reserves gone before you even start.

Most people breathe in a way that keeps their nervous system slightly stressed all the time. For freedivers, this means a higher baseline heart rate and shorter holds.

The good news? You can train this.

Why your heart rate spikes before a breath hold

You’re about to stop breathing and your body doesn’t like it.

Anticipatory stress. Your nervous system knows what’s coming. And it knows you feel pressure to perform. This creates a cascade of stress hormones that raise your heart rate.

Poor breathe-up technique. Most people breathe too fast, too shallow, or both. They think they’re relaxing but they’re actually keeping their sympathetic nervous system activated.

Physical tension. Tight shoulders, clenched jaw, rigid posture. All of these keep your heart rate elevated. You can’t think your way to calm while your body is tensing up.

Rushing. Pool time is limited, your buddy’s waiting, you want to get on with it. So you cut the breathe-up short. I get it. Still a bad idea.

What actually works

In the moment, there are a few things that work.

Extended exhale breathing. The exhale activates your parasympathetic nervous system. A 4-second inhale followed by a 6-8 second exhale will drop your heart rate within a few minutes. The key is not forcing it. Slow and controlled beats deep and aggressive every time.

Diaphragmatic breathing. Belly breathing directly stimulates the vagus nerve. Put a hand on your belly and make sure it rises before your chest. If your shoulders are moving up, you’re chest breathing. Took me weeks to unlearn that habit.

Progressive relaxation. Scan from your feet up. Consciously release tension in each muscle group. Your face, jaw, and shoulders hold more tension than you think. I often catch myself clenching my jaw during breathe-ups.

Find a relaxed position. The goal is to get as comfortable as possible before your hold—any physical tension keeps your heart rate elevated. Adjust your position until nothing feels strained or awkward. The more at ease you are physically, the lower your heart rate can drop.

Mistakes I’ve made

Trying too hard to relax. The harder you try to force calm, the more stressed you become. Relaxation isn’t something you do. It’s something you allow. I spent way too many sessions mentally yelling at myself to relax. Shockingly, that didn’t work.

Hidden hyperventilation. You think you’re breathing slowly, but you’re actually at 12+ breaths per minute. Count your breaths. If you’re over 6-8 per minute during breathe-up, you’re keeping your nervous system activated.

Skipping the physical setup. You can’t out-breathe bad positioning. Get comfortable first. Adjust your mask. Sort out your weight belt. Then start your breathe-up. Every time I’ve tried to “breathe through” an uncomfortable wetsuit situation, I’ve regretted it.

Not finding your own protocol. Some people respond to visualization. Others need pure breath focus. Some need eyes closed, others prefer staring at a fixed point. I do better with eyes open and a specific exhale count. Find what works for you through experimentation, then stick with it.

Building a lower baseline over time

The real game is played between sessions. A lower resting heart rate means you start every breathe-up from a better position.

Start with tracking. Yeah you need to know what you’re aiming for. Morning heart rate is one of the best indicators of recovery and nervous system state. If it’s elevated, something’s off—poor sleep, stress, overtraining. That affects your breathe-up before you even get to the pool.

Aerobic base training. Consistent low-intensity cardio—running, cycling, swimming—builds cardiac efficiency. Your heart pumps more blood per beat, so it doesn’t need to beat as often. There is no way around it but to build a solid foundation. (Also see Aerobic base & VO2 max for the full breakdown.)

Bottom line

Look, the freedivers who consistently hit low heart rates before holds aren’t more naturally calm. They’ve trained their nervous system through repetition. Every proper breathe-up reinforces the pattern.

This is why having structured protocols in Appneist matters. You’re not just timing your breath hold—you’re building the pre-hold routine that determines how that hold goes.

(Want to understand the mental side? Read Freediving mental training: Your mind quits first. Dealing with early contractions? Check out On early contractions.)