January 7, 2026

The physical and mental health benefits of regular exercise are well-known, but mindfulness practices such as breathwork and meditation can be essential tools in managing stress and improving your overall well-being. 

If you’re interested in adding breathwork and meditation into your daily routine but not sure where to start, we’re here to help. Read on to learn more about these well-being practices and how you can make the most of both features on your compatible Garmin smartwatch.

As you will see, there are many breathwork and meditation benefits.

Breathwork

Practicing breathwork involves intentionally controlling your breathing pattern with the goal of calming your body. The normal respiration rate for a resting adult is 12 to 20 breaths per minute, but stressful life events and changes in overall health can cause your respiration rate to fall above or below the normal rate. While you generally breathe in and out without having to think about it, spending time consciously controlling your breath can bring your respiration rate back to normal as well as increase awareness, improve mental sharpness, boost work performance and decrease stress.

With the breathwork feature on your compatible Garmin smartwatch, you’ll be able to practice different breathwork techniques and track changes in stress and average heart rate after the activity¹.

• Tranquility: If you can’t turn off the racing thoughts or tend to ruminate about everyday stressors while trying to sleep, the tranquility activity might be for you. This 10-minute activity sets you up for a great night’s sleep by clearing your mind and helping you relax. By the end of the activity, you’ll be able to inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 7 and exhale for 8.
• Coherence: The coherence technique is a great way to balance the nervous system by connecting your breath and heart rate. To feel balanced and calm, focus on slowing down your breath in 15 minutes. By the end of the activity, you’ll be about to complete a 6-second inhale and 6-second exhale.
• Relax and Focus: No matter where you are, the Relax and Focus activity is a great way to regain concentration without stress. Using the “Fourfold Breath” technique, you’ll work toward a “4:4:4:4” breath pattern — that is, 4-second inhale, 4-second hold, 4-second exhale, 4-second hold. If your smartwatch detects an unusual spike in stress, it will suggest the 5-minute version.

Meditation

By achieving mental clarity and taking deep, relaxing breathes, meditation activates the parasympathetic nervous system. Whether you prefer mindfulness meditation or self-scanning meditation, focusing on the present moment and acknowledging bodily sensations can lead to improved emotion processing and overall mental health, according to Cleveland Clinic.

With a compatible Garmin smartwatch, you’ll have your choice of free, session or custom meditation modes, as well as guided meditations with soothing ocean sounds that you can hear via connected headphones or the built-in speaker on select smartwatches. No matter which activity you choose, you’ll be shown your average and max heart rate as well as average respiration and stress.

To start working meditation and/or breathwork into your everyday routine, browse our collection of compatible Garmin smartwatches.  

_{¹See Garmin.com/ataccuracy}