Learn Hardcore Polish: Powinieneś łatwiej oddychać, ćwicząc wolniej na siłowni. - You should breathe more easily by exercising more slowly in the gym.

Powinieneś is the 2nd person singular masculine form of the modal verb powinien in the present tense. It expresses obligation or recommendation, so here it means “you should” or “you ought to.” The ending -eś marks “you” (singular), and the form is masculine—if you address a woman you’d say Powinnaś.

Why is łatwiej used instead of łatwo?

łatwiej is the comparative form of the adverb łatwo (“easily”). It literally means “more easily.” In Polish, most adverbs form comparatives by adding -ej or -iej to the base, so you get łatwo → łatwiej.

Why is ćwicząc used instead of an infinitive or a subordinate clause?

ćwicząc is the adverbial participle (imiesłów przysłówkowy współczesny) of ćwiczyć (“to exercise”). It indicates a simultaneous action—“while exercising” or “by exercising.” This participle makes the sentence more concise compared to a full clause like kiedy ćwiczysz wolniej (“when you exercise more slowly”).

What case is siłowni and why is the locative used?

siłowni is the locative case of siłownia (“gym”). After the preposition na used for location, Polish requires the locative case. Thus na siłowni means “at the gym.”

Why is wolniej used instead of wolno?

wolniej is the comparative form of the adverb wolno (“slowly”). It means “more slowly” or “slower” here. Like łatwiej, it uses the -iej ending to turn the base adverb into a comparative.

Why is there a comma before ćwicząc?

In Polish, a postposed adverbial participle phrase (imiesłów przysłówkowy) is separated from the main clause by a comma. The comma marks the start of the dependent phrase ćwicząc wolniej na siłowni.

Could you reorder the sentence to Powinieneś oddychać łatwiej, ćwicząc wolniej na siłowni? Would it change the meaning?

Grammatically you can move łatwiej, but it’s more natural in Polish to place the comparative directly after the verb it modifies (oddychać). The suggested order is understandable, yet native speakers prefer Powinieneś łatwiej oddychać… for clarity.

Why not use a conditional or future tense for the exercise part, like gdy będziesz ćwiczył wolniej?

Using the adverbial participle ćwicząc makes the sentence shorter and more dynamic. A clause like gdy będziesz ćwiczył wolniej (“when you will be exercising more slowly”) is correct but wordier. The participle emphasizes that slowing down and easier breathing happen at the same time.