Beyond that, fitness experts recommend that you exhale on the exertion phase of the exercise and inhale on the easier phase. The exertion phase is typically the hardest phase of the exercise—lifting, curling, or pushing the weight. The easier phase brings you back to the starting position by lowering or returning the weight. To help, all of SparkPeople's exercise demos explain when to inhale and exhale based on these recommendations. By focusing on breathing in on the return and breathing out on the exertion phase of each exercise, you'll also prevent yourself from holding your breath. However, don’t get too caught up about when to inhale and exhale. Breathing in reverse is much better than not breathing at all.