Your breath test result

These results are a guide only and not medical advice. Always talk to your doctor or nurse if you’re worried about getting out of breath, especially if your breathlessness has just started or got worse recently.

Keep on doing exercise that gets you out of breath. But do remember that you’re more likely to get breathlessness as you get older, so it’s important to:

• keep physically active
• drink and eat healthily
• manage your weight
• reduce how much you smoke, or ideally not smoke at all.

There are a few different things that can cause breathlessness or make your breathlessness worse. Here, we have advice to help you manage some of the most common causes.

How you can keep active

Try to be physically active every day. And every week, aim for some faster activity, like fast walking, dancing or housework – something that makes you breathe faster. Try and make it fun! 

You'll find lots of useful suggestions on how to get started from the NHS at get active your way including tips on how to get fit for free. 

You can also try our keep active handbook and keep active programme. You might be eligible for pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) – talk to your health care professional.

Understanding your breathlessness

Understanding what can cause breathlessness, ways to cope and ways to help manage it can make a real difference. Take a look at our detailed information about breathlessness.

How you can get help to quit smoking

If you smoke, you’re more likely to get out of breath or develop lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), heart disease and other serious diseases. Check out our smoking information for support to help you quit.

Support for your mental wellbeing

You should speak to your doctor, nurse or another health care professional if you’re worried about your breathlessness and it’s impacting your daily life.

It may help to think about the following. Over the last two weeks, how often have you been bothered by the following problems?

• feeling nervous, anxious or on edge
• not being able to stop or control worrying
• little interest or pleasure in doing things
• feeling down, depressed, or hopeless.

You should think about if these problems have been affecting you:

• not at all
• for several days
• for more than half the days
• nearly every day.

Make a note of your answers and take them with you to discuss with your health care professional. Check out our detailed information on looking after your mental health.

Staying a healthy weight

Your weight can impact how breathless you feel. Being underweight or overweight can affect your health and cause breathlessness.

That’s why it’s important to stay healthy. We have more information about keeping to a healthy weight. We also have information on eating well with a lung condition.

Be aware that air pollution, both indoors and outdoors, can affect your breathing

Adults and children with existing heart and lung conditions are most at risk when pollution levels rise. To find out if high pollution levels are expected, check the UK’s daily air quality forecast. 

Have a look at our information about how you can protect yourself from air pollution. We spend about 90% of our time indoors, so read about the quality of air in your home too.