Designing to support uncomfortable breathing exercises: ethical considerations

Under certain conditions, breathing abnormally fast or slow can improve health and performance. Even breathing in a way that intentionally restricts the amount of oxygen delivered to the body can be desirable in some situations. However, while these various "uncomfortable" breathing exercises can lead to benefits when practiced in a controlled and supervised setting, they can also be potentially dangerous if practiced incorrectly. In this paper, we discuss ethical considerations for ensuring end-user safety when designing technology-mediated breathing exercises.