The standard recommendation is to use an incentive spirometer every 1 to 2 hours while you’re awake, taking 10 to 15 slow breaths each session. That applies whether you’re recovering from surgery, treating pneumonia, or managing another condition that puts your lungs at risk. Your provider may adjust this schedule based on your specific situation.
The Standard Schedule
Each session with the spirometer is short, usually just a few minutes. You inhale slowly through the mouthpiece, try to raise the piston or ball to your target marker, hold your breath for a few seconds at the top of the inhale, then exhale normally. Repeat that 10 to 15 times, and you’re done until the next session.
Spacing those sessions every 1 to 2 hours means you’ll realistically complete somewhere between 8 and 16 sessions over the course of a day. You don’t need to wake yourself up at night to use it. The schedule applies to your waking hours only. If you’re sleeping, your body is already in a relaxed breathing pattern, and the real risk for lung complications comes from long stretches of shallow breathing while you’re upright or semi-reclined during the day.
Why the Frequency Matters
After surgery, especially procedures involving the chest or abdomen, your natural instinct is to breathe shallowly because deep breaths hurt. Pain medications can suppress your breathing drive even further. The result is that the tiny air sacs at the base of your lungs can collapse, a condition called atelectasis. Once those air sacs close, fluid and mucus can accumulate, creating a breeding ground for pneumonia.
The every-1-to-2-hour schedule exists because lung tissue doesn’t stay inflated on its own when you’re breathing shallowly all day. A single deep-breathing session in the morning won’t protect you through the afternoon. Frequent sessions keep the air sacs open consistently, which is the whole point of the device. Skipping sessions or bunching them together (doing 60 breaths in the morning and nothing the rest of the day) defeats the purpose.
How to Use It Correctly
Sit upright or at least at a 45-degree angle. Holding the spirometer level in front of you, seal your lips tightly around the mouthpiece. Inhale slowly and steadily, not in a quick gasp. The goal is a long, controlled breath that raises the indicator to your volume target. Quick inhalations move the marker up fast but don’t actually fill the deep portions of your lungs.
Once you’ve inhaled as deeply as you can, hold your breath for 3 to 5 seconds. This pause is what gives the air time to reach the smallest airways and inflate collapsed air sacs. Then remove the mouthpiece and exhale normally. Rest for a few normal breaths before the next repetition. Rushing through all 10 to 15 breaths without pausing between them can cause dizziness or lightheadedness from hyperventilation. If you feel dizzy, stop, breathe normally for a minute, and resume at a slower pace.
Your Volume Target
Most spirometers have a sliding marker you can set as a goal, measured in milliliters. Your care team typically sets this initial target based on your age, height, and sex. A common starting range for adults is around 1,500 to 2,500 mL, but don’t worry if you can’t hit that number right away, particularly in the first day or two after surgery. The target is something to work toward, not a pass-fail test.
Try to increase your volume slightly each day. If you started at 1,000 mL on day one, aim for 1,250 the next day and keep building. Consistent improvement matters more than hitting a specific number on any single breath. If your volume plateaus or drops after a few days instead of improving, that’s worth mentioning to your provider because it can signal a developing complication.
How Long to Keep Using It
In the hospital, you’ll use the spirometer from the moment you’re awake after surgery until you’re discharged. Most patients are sent home with the device and instructions to continue the same every-1-to-2-hour routine. The typical at-home period ranges from one to several weeks depending on the surgery and how quickly your lung function recovers. Abdominal and thoracic surgeries generally require longer use than, say, a knee replacement.
A practical sign that you’re ready to taper off: you can consistently hit your volume target without much effort, you’re moving around normally, and you’re no longer relying on strong pain medications that suppress your breathing. Even after you stop formal sessions, taking occasional sets of deep breaths throughout the day is a good habit during recovery.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Inhaling too fast. A quick gasp moves the indicator but doesn’t inflate your deep lung tissue. Slow, steady breaths are far more effective.
- Lying flat. Gravity compresses your lungs when you’re on your back. Sit up or recline to at least 45 degrees.
- Skipping the breath hold. The 3-to-5-second pause at the top of each inhale is when the real work happens. Without it, you lose much of the benefit.
- Doing all sessions at once. Spreading sessions throughout the day keeps air sacs consistently open. Cramming everything into one or two longer sessions leaves hours of shallow breathing in between.
- Breathing through your nose. Your lips need to form a tight seal around the mouthpiece. Air leaking in through your nose reduces the volume reaching your lungs through the device.
If It Hurts to Use
Pain during deep breathing is normal after surgery, especially with chest or abdominal incisions. That doesn’t mean you should skip the spirometer. If you’ve had abdominal surgery, pressing a pillow firmly against your incision while you inhale (called splinting) reduces the sharp pulling sensation considerably. Time your spirometer sessions for about 20 to 30 minutes after taking pain medication, when the medication is at its peak effect and deep breaths are more tolerable.
Sharp, sudden chest pain that wasn’t there before, or pain accompanied by fever and worsening shortness of breath, is different from normal post-surgical discomfort and warrants a call to your care team.