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A recent article in University Health News cites
several studies showing breathing exercises help lower blood pressure. For
example, one 2005 study found taking six deep breaths in 30 seconds (each
inhale and exhale lasting five seconds) lowered systolic blood pressure
anywhere from 3.4 to 3.9 units, compared to simply resting in a seated
position.
As noted in the article, apps and devices are
available that will guide your breathing to help you get down to 10 or fewer
breaths per minute. Studies have found using such devices for five
minutes, three to four times per week, can help lower blood pressure in
patients with hypertension.
Dr. Konstantin Buteyko, creator of the Buteyko
Breathing Method, discovered he could lower his blood pressure simply by
bringing his breathing toward normal. In this way, he successfully
"cured" his own hypertension. In 1957, he coined the term
"disease of deep breathing," having researched the health effects of
excessive breathing for over a decade.
The problem with shallow, rapid breathing is that it
activates your sympathetic response, which is involved in releasing cortisol
and other stress hormones. Controlled deep breathing, on the other hand, helps
trigger your relaxation response as it activates your parasympathetic nervous
system, which in turn slows down your heart rate and digestion while promoting
a state of calm.
Controlled breathing exercises have also been found
to modify stress-coping behaviors and initiate appropriate balance in cardiac
autonomic tone, a term that describes your heart’s ability to respond to and
recover from stressors.
Article Source: http://articles.mercola.com
