- A new study finds that a form of breathwork (or breath training) done for 30 minutes a day can lower blood pressure.
- Special equipment and techniques called high resistance inspiratory strength training (IMST) can lower systolic blood pressure by about 10 mmHg and DBP by about 5 mmHg.
- Dr. Daniel Harrison Craighahd details his research and how breathing exercises actually lower blood pressure.
Taking deep breaths does more than just reduce anxiety and slow your heart rate. A recent study found that a type of respiratory training combined with an over-the-counter breathing device helped lower blood pressure (BP) by nearly 10 points.
Research published in Journal of Applied Physiology Earlier this month, a total of 128 healthy adults between the ages of 18 and 82 practiced breathwork or breathing exercises for six weeks.
Daniel Harrison Craighead, Ph.D., assistant professor of integrative physiology at the Institute on Aging at the University of Colorado Boulder and a co-author of the study, said it’s a broad term for any kind of conscious control of breathing. According to Craighead, many types have been shown to affect blood pressure when performed regularly for 30 minutes a day. The specific type of breathing technique used in studies to lower blood pressure is high-resistance inspiratory strength training (IMST), which he uses via his handheld device that provides resistance for 5-10 minutes, 30 minutes a day. Take one resistance breath. The trick is that each of the 30 inhalations is really hard and requires a lot of effort, he says.
According to Craighead, an initial drop in blood pressure is observed within two weeks. This is faster than the blood pressure benefits typically seen in more traditional forms of exercise. Also, blood pressure continued to drop for at least his first six weeks of training, and could drop even further with longer training sessions, he says.
High blood pressure can lead to a variety of health problems, including heart attacks and strokes, aneurysms, cognitive decline, and kidney failure.Recently research American blood pressure is on the rise, Significant rise during COVID-19 pandemic So now more than ever before the pandemic, it’s important to take precautions and stay healthy.
Ahead, Craighead breaks down everything you need to know about breathing training to lower blood pressure.
How does breathing training lower blood pressure?
IMST probably lowers BP in a few different ways, he explains. One is to suppress the activity of the sympathetic nervous system, the fight-or-flight response. People with high blood pressure tend to over-activate this system, and deep breathing techniques using the IMST can reduce activity. Another of his main mechanisms is to improve endothelial cell health. These cells line blood vessels and are important for cardiovascular health. IMSTs may lower blood pressure by improving the function of these cells.
how does that work?
In one session, the user performs 30 resisted inspirations via a handheld device (he uses POWERbreathe) with an end piece that loosely resembles a snorkel. There is no resistance to exhaling. Breathe in through the mouthpiece as quickly and forcefully as possible, trying to fill it as much as possible. While doing this, the device is providing resistance, which makes inhaling very difficult. The study involved five sets of six consecutive resisted inhalations, with a 1-minute rest of non-resisted breaths between each set. It is very difficult and users say they will have a hard time overcoming the device’s resistance.
who should try it?
Everyone should consult a doctor to make sure it is safe before doing an IMST. But in general, IMST is safe for most people. Most of the IMST research has been done in healthy or hypertensive adults. So far, Craighead says he has confirmed that the blood pressure benefits of IMST are indeed unaffected by age, gender, or weight, suggesting that IMST is commonly used to lower blood pressure in most people. He said researchers are still studying different patient populations, so it is not currently known how effective IMST is for people with severe chronic diseases. Hmm.
If you’re interested in trying breathwork to lower your blood pressure, talk to your doctor before purchasing a device and practicing at home.
Emily Goldman is preventionShe has been editing and writing on health, wellness, beauty, food and more for several years now for Marthastewart.com and Bridalguide.com. She has loved all things health and wellness since she started her biweekly podcast Pancreas Pals. This is a series about the ups and downs of life with type 1 diabetes. When she’s not podcasting, she spends most of her time curled up reading a good book or watching a BBC period drama.
