Science Suggests Breath Training Can Help Lower Your Blood Pressure
Everyone is going to feel their blood pressure rise at one time or another – life is just like that. For others, though, high blood pressure is an issue that plagues them day in and day out.
Whether you’re looking to control the occasional spike or need assistance in lowering your blood pressure regularly, science is saying that practicing “breath training” a couple of times a day could have a real impact.
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As with any muscle, the ones that assist in breathing can be strengthened and trained – and doing so can possibly reduce high blood pressure and promote heart health.
Our cardiovascular and respiratory systems are connected, so perhaps it’s not so surprising that improving one’s lung muscles may in turn improve heart function.
Inspiratory muscle strength training (IMST) is a method of breathing using a resistance device over a long period of time. Originally developed for high-performing athletes, it’s now being recommended to healthy adults and non-ventilator-dependent patients.
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In a recent study that included healthy volunteers between the ages of 18 and 82, participants were asked to do the breathing technique for five minutes a day, at least 5 days a week for six weeks. They used a machine called PowerBreathe, which looks like an inhaler but lets provides resistance to breathing instead.
According to the CDC, a normal blood pressure level is 120/80 mmHg. The first number is your systolic blood pressure, which is the pressure from the blood on artery walls when the heart is beating, and the diastolic blood pressure is the pressure from blood on the artery wall when the heart is at rest.
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Study participants who did the breathing technique lowered their systolic blood pressure by 9 mmHg, a reduction that was also seen in a 6-week follow up visit.
They also improved their nitric oxide bioavailability, which promotes good blood flow and widens blood vessels. Together, that could help prevent buildup of plaque in arteries.
Altogether, this study is very promising for aging humans everywhere, as soon there could be a fairly simple, at-home technique that promotes healthier blood pressure across the board.
