In the Oxygen Advantage programme, we use a short breath-hold as a measure of tolerance to breathlessness.

Body Oxygen Level Test (BOLT)

Measure every morning before you get out of bed.

Steps:

• Breathe in normal breath through your nose
• Breathe out normal nose breath
• Pinch and hold your nose until you feel the first desire to breathe
• You may feel a flutter in your belly
• You may feel tension in the jaw or a desire to swallow
• As soon as you feel any of these sensations, let go of the nose and breathe in
• Your breath in should be calm and relaxed
• If it's not calm then you held for too long
• Note the seconds you've held your breath - this is your BOLT score