Could improving your blood pressure be as simple as practising your breathing?
Researchers from the universities of Colorado Boulder and Arizona have found that breath training using a simple device can significantly lower your blood pressure.
Their research paper, published in the Journal of Applied Physiology, assessed healthy patients aged 18 to 82. It found breath training reduced blood pressure by 9mmHg, which would be expected with aerobic exercise such as walking, running or cycling.
Combined with medication, this figure could drop to 10mmHg. This could lead to a 35 per cent drop stroke risk and a 25 per cent drop in heart disease risk.
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According to health news site Health, the reduction was similar to what can be achieved with 30 minutes of aerobic exercise per day. But with breath work, the results were achieved in five to 10 minutes, making it very efficient.
How did they achieve these results?
Volunteers were asked to practise high-resistance inspiratory muscle strength training (IMST) using a hand-held device called PowerBreathe, taking 30 breaths per day for six weeks.
The machine forces your lungs and breathing muscles to work harder to catch your breath, giving the muscles a workout.
University of Colorado Boulder integrative physiology professor Daniel Craighead told NPR that the muscles you use to breathe atrophy, just like the rest of your muscles tend to as you get older.
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“We found that doing 30 breaths per day for six weeks lowers systolic blood pressure by about nine millimetres of mercury,” Prof. Craighead said.
So how does it work?
Prof. Craighead points to the role of endothelial cells, which line our blood vessels and promote the production of nitric oxide – a key compound that protects the heart. Nitric oxide helps widen our blood vessels, promoting good blood flow, which prevents the build-up of plaque in arteries.
“What we found was that six weeks of IMST will increase endothelial function by about 45 per cent.”
Using the device added resistance to give the muscles a good workout.
“We were surprised to see how effective IMST is at lowering blood pressure,” he said. The effect was “robust”, with significant decline in blood pressure for all age groups.
“Additionally, blood pressure continued to decline across the six-week intervention. This would suggest that training for longer than six weeks would lower blood pressure even more,” he said.
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This training should not replace exercise. Nor is it suitable for those with blood pressure so elevated they’re at risk of heart attack or stroke. Always consult your doctor first.
Breath training devices were developed for people with serious lung conditions to strengthen their breathing muscles. They are also being developed for athletes.
Blood pressure is one of the leading causes of heart disease and stroke. It can also damage the arteries, kidneys and eyes.
According to the Victor Chang Institute, around four million Australians suffer from hypertension or high blood pressure. Of these, more than two-thirds have uncontrolled or unmanaged high blood pressure.
Would you consider using a breathing device to improve your blood pressure? Why not share your thoughts in the comments section below?
