Study Finds Breathwork Can Lower Blood Pressure as Well as Exercise—Here’s How It Works

• A new study found that a type of breathwork (or breathing training) done for 30 minutes a day can lower blood pressure.
• A special device and technique called high-resistance inspiratory muscle strength training (IMST) can reduce systolic blood pressure by almost 10 mmHg and DBP by almost 5 mmHg.
• Daniel Harrison Craigheahd, Ph.D., discusses his research and how the breathing technique actually works to lower blood pressure.

Taking deep breaths can do much more than ease anxiety and slow your heart rate. A recent study found that one type of breathing training, combined with an over-the-counter breathing device, can help lower blood pressure (BP) by almost 10 points.

The study, published in the Journal of Applied Physiology Earlier this month, he practiced breathwork, or breathing exercises, with a total of 128 healthy adults, ages 18 to 82, for six weeks.

Daniel Harrison Craighead, Ph.D., a research assistant professor in the Integrative Physiology of Aging Laboratory at the University of Colorado Boulder and a co-author of the study, says that breathing is a broad term that refers to any kind of conscious control of the breathing. Many types have been shown to have effects on BP when done regularly for 30 minutes a day, according to Craighead. The specific type of work of breathing used in the study to lower BP is high-endurance inspiratory muscle strength training (IMST), which involves performing 30 resisted breaths per day for five to 10 minutes through a portable device that provides resistance. The kicker is that each of those 30 puffs is really challenging and requires a lot of effort, he says.

According to Craighead, initial BP reductions are seen within two weeks, which is faster than the BP benefits typically seen with more conventional forms of exercise. And your blood pressure will continue to drop for at least the first six weeks of training and may drop further with prolonged training, she says.

High blood pressure can cause a number of health problems, such as heart attack and stroke, as well as aneurysms, cognitive impairment, and kidney failure. Recent research has even found that Americans’ blood pressure has been rising and was significantly higher during the COVID-19 pandemic than before the pandemic. So now, more than ever, it’s important to take preventive measures and stay on top of your health.

Later, Craighead breaks down everything you need to know about breathing training to lower blood pressure.

How does breathing training lower blood pressure?

IMST likely lowers blood pressure in different ways, he explains. One is to reject the activity of the sympathetic nervous system, its fight or flight response. People with high BP tend to have this system overactivated, and IMST deep breathing techniques are likely to reduce activity. Another main mechanism is to improve the health of endothelial cells, the cells that line the inside of blood vessels and are critical for cardiovascular health. IMST might lower BP by making these cells work better.

How does it work?

During a single session, users will take 30 resisted breaths through a handheld device (used the POWERbreathe) with an end piece vaguely resembling a snorkel; there is no resistance to exhalation. Inhale through the mouthpiece as quickly and powerfully as possible, trying to take as full a breath as possible. As you do this, the device provides resistance, which makes inhalation very challenging. The study had people do five sets of six successive resisted breaths, with a one-minute rest of unresisted breathing between each set. Craighead notes that the last set of six breaths is often very challenging and users will have a hard time overcoming the resistance of the device.

Who should try it?

Everyone should check with their doctor before doing IMST to make sure it’s safe for them. However, in general, IMST will be safe for most people. Most of the research on IMST has been done in healthy adults or adults with high blood pressure. So far, Craighead says they’ve seen that the benefits of IMST for blood pressure aren’t really affected by age, sex, or body weight, suggesting that IMST will be generally effective in lowering blood pressure in most people. of people. He says that researchers are still studying various patient populations, although as such we currently don’t know how effective IMST is for people with serious chronic conditions.

If you are interested in trying breathing to lower your blood pressure, consult your doctor before purchasing any device and practicing at home.