The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that nearly half of Americans have hypertension (aka high blood pressure). It is possible to control hypertension by changing your lifestyle, losing weight, exercising more, and eating a low-sodium, healthy diet. Many of us have to take medication.

The scientific community has been studying hypertension as a serious problem. Research suggests that there is a way to lower high blood pressure without resorting to medication or making major lifestyle changes.

The study suggests that diaphragm training and other breathing exercises can improve heart health and lower blood pressure.

How breath training works

The Journal of Applied Physiology published a study on "high-resistance inspiratory muscle strength training" (IMST) and its effects on blood pressure. The idea behind the study was to see if strengthening our muscles that we breathe can have BP-lowering benefits, just as weightlifting at the gym can help strengthen our triceps.

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Researchers from the University of Colorado Boulder concluded that five pilot studies were conducted in healthy adults between 18 and 82 years old. The results provided "strong evidence" that high-resistance imST can reduce SBP and DBP, and increase PIMAX (maximal inspiratory pressures) in adult men and woman.

NPR Daniel Craighead, an integrative physiologist, explained that the muscles used to inhale atrophy just as other muscles do with age. Craighead and his colleagues tested volunteers using PowerBreathe, a device that allows them to exercise for five minutes each day.

The PowerBreathe is a hand-held machine that can be used to train your breathing. It looks almost like an inhaler. The PowerBreathe is a breathing trainer that creates resistance when you inhale into it. This makes your diaphragm work harder and helps to strengthen other breathing muscles.

Craighead stated that 30 deep breaths per day over six weeks reduced systolic blood pressure by approximately 9 millimeters. This kind of decrease would be expected from walking, cycling, or other forms of aerobic exercise.

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According to Dr. Michael Joyner, a Mayo Clinic physician who studies the nervous system's regulation of blood pressure, it is also possible to see a reduction in blood pressure.

Breathing with a PowerBreathe can help lower blood pressure and prevent hypertension. Joyner wrote in the Journal of the American Heart Association that he believes the prospects of using this technique in preventive care are "promising"--especially for people who aren't able to do traditional aerobic exercise.

This method is so simple, he said. Dr. Joyner said that giving your breathing muscles a workout using high-resistance IMTST "offers an unconventional way to get the benefits of exercise"

Researchers Surprised by the Benefits of Breath Training

Although breath training is a new concept in hypertension treatment, strength training the breathing muscles using deep diaphragmatic breathing has been used for years during mindfulness and meditation.

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High-resistance, IMST with a small machine such as the PowerBreathe could be of benefit to adults of all ages and health conditions. Researchers were surprised at the extent of this benefit.

Craighead stated that they were "surprised" to find how effective IMST was at lowering blood pressure. He also said that the study participants from all ages showed "robust effects". These results may indicate that IMST could help to prevent high blood pressure and heart disease that are common with aging.

Craighead noted that six weeks' worth of IMST might be beneficial for endurance athletes who are elite.

Breath training is not meant to replace exercise. Craighead cautions that it shouldn't replace your medication. Talk to your doctor about this. This is especially true if your blood pressure has risen to the point that you are at risk for a stroke or heart attack.

The researcher said that it would be an "additive intervention" for people who already follow healthy lifestyles.

The initial research is promising and it may be worth adding PowerBreathe into your daily health routine for five minutes per day.

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By: Perry Carpenter
Title: ‘Breath Training’ Can Work As Effectively As Medication To Reduce High Blood Pressure
Sourced From: www.suggest.com/breath-training-reduce-high-blood-pressure-powerbreathe/2678327/
Published Date: Fri, 30 Sep 2022 11:15:00 +0000

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