Can simple breathing exercises boost resilience and lower stress?
NCT ID NCT07698652
First seen Jul 13, 2026 · Last updated Aug 07, 2026 · Updated 4 times
Summary
This trial investigates whether two breathing techniques—diaphragmatic breathing and box breathing—can help healthy physical therapy students manage stress and build psychological resilience. Participants will be randomly assigned to practice one of the breathing methods or join a control group for four weeks. Researchers will measure heart rate variability, perceived stress, resilience, cognitive performance, and academic self-efficacy to see if these non-invasive practices make a difference.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- breathing techniques (diaphragmatic breathing and box breathing)
- What this could lead to
- If effective, these simple breathing exercises could offer a low-cost, non-drug way for students to manage stress and build resilience.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, short-term study in healthy students, so results may not apply to other groups. The effects may be modest or not last beyond the 4-week program.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 60 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Sep 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Mar 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 to 25 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Academic Status: Currently enrolled, full-time undergraduate Physical Therapy students * Age Range: 18-25 years * Health Status: Generally healthy individuals with no known chronic respiratory or cardiovascular diseases. * Informed Consent: Ability and willingness to provide written informed consent and commit to the 4-week protocol (6 sessions/week). * Stress Level: A baseline score on the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) indicating at least moderate stress. Exclusion Criteria: * Pre-existing Breathing Expertise: Individuals with professional training in yoga (Pranayama), formal meditation, or advanced breath work that might bias the baseline results. * Medical Conditions: Diagnosed respiratory conditions (e.g., Asthma, COPD). * Cardiovascular issues (e.g., Arrhythmias, Hypertension). * Clinical psychological disorders (e.g., Generalized Anxiety Disorder or Panic Disorder) that may require medication. * Pharmacological Factors: Use of medications that influence the Autonomic Nervous System (e.g., Beta-blockers, antidepressants, or heavy use of stimulants/sedatives). * Substance Use: Smokers/Vapers * Excessive Caffeine "Participants consuming more than 400 mg of caffeine per day (equivalent to approximately 4 standard cups of brewed coffee) will be excluded. * Recent Acute Illness: Any respiratory tract infection or fever within two weeks prior to the start of the study
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As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Faculty of Physical Therapy, Deraya University
Minya, Minya Province, Egypt
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