Lower Blood Pressure With This Breathing Exercise
If you’re looking for a quick and natural way to lower your blood pressure, there’s a simple breathing exercise that can help. It’s something you can do right now — no equipment needed — and it only takes a few moments to feel the effects.
The exercise is called deep diaphragmatic breathing, and it works by calming your nervous system, relaxing your blood vessels, and boosting your nitric oxide levels. In this article, you’ll learn why this breathing technique is so effective at lowering blood pressure and how you can use it to your advantage.
How Deep Breathing Affects Blood Pressure
You might be wondering how something as simple as breathing could impact your blood pressure.
Here’s how it works:
When you take deep breaths, especially through your diaphragm (the large muscle located just below your lungs), it signals to your body that it’s time to relax. This activates your parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for calming your body down, lowering your heart rate, and reducing the levels of stress hormones like cortisol.
In turn, this helps lower your blood pressure by:
Reducing vasoconstriction (the narrowing of blood vessels).
Promoting vasodilation (the widening of blood vessels).
Decreasing heart rate, which reduces the force of blood flow through your arteries.
When your blood vessels are more relaxed and your heart isn’t working as hard to pump blood, your blood pressure naturally drops.
The Power of Nitric Oxide
You’ve heard me talk about nitric oxide before, and this breathing exercise also plays a big role in boosting your body’s production of it.
When you breathe deeply, especially through your nose, your body releases more nitric oxide. As we’ve discussed in other articles, nitric oxide is a powerful compound that helps relax your blood vessels and improve blood flow, which directly impacts your blood pressure.
The beauty of this is that you can increase your nitric oxide levels right now, just by taking a deep breath.
Here’s how:
The Breathing Exercise
To perform deep diaphragmatic breathing, follow these simple steps:
Find a comfortable position: Sit or lie down somewhere comfortable. You can do this exercise anywhere — at your desk, in your car, or even lying in bed.
Place one hand on your chest and the other on your belly: This will help you feel the difference between shallow chest breathing and deeper belly breathing.
Breathe in slowly through your nose for 4-5 seconds: As you do this, try to fill your belly with air, not your chest. You should feel your belly rise while your chest stays relatively still.
Hold the breath for a couple of seconds: This brief pause allows your body to absorb more oxygen and helps increase nitric oxide production.
Exhale slowly through your mouth for 6-7 seconds: Make sure to fully release the breath. You can even purse your lips slightly to slow the exhale down.
Repeat for 5-10 breaths: Take your time with each breath, focusing on the rise and fall of your belly.
Why It’s So Effective
Now that you know how to do it, let’s dive into why this breathing exercise is so effective at lowering blood pressure.
Activates the Parasympathetic Nervous System
As mentioned earlier, deep diaphragmatic breathing stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system. This is often referred to as the “rest and digest” system because it helps your body recover and relax after periods of stress.
When your parasympathetic system is activated, your body starts to release tension, your heart rate slows down, and your blood vessels open up, making it easier for blood to flow smoothly through your arteries. This reduces the pressure on your artery walls and leads to a drop in blood pressure.
Reduces Cortisol Levels
Chronic stress can lead to increased cortisol levels, and high cortisol is linked to higher blood pressure. By practising deep breathing, you’re able to reduce cortisol production and bring your body into a calmer state, which in turn helps lower your blood pressure.
Increases Nitric Oxide Production
As you take slow, deep breaths, especially through your nose, your body increases its production of nitric oxide. This molecule helps relax your blood vessels, improve blood flow, and reduce the resistance against which your heart has to pump blood — all of which help lower your blood pressure.
Improves Oxygenation
Deep breathing allows you to take in more oxygen than shallow, rapid breaths. More oxygen means better circulation, and better circulation means healthier blood pressure levels. When your body is getting the oxygen it needs, it doesn’t have to work as hard to pump blood, reducing strain on your cardiovascular system.
How Often Should You Use This Exercise?
The beauty of deep diaphragmatic breathing is that you can do it anytime and anywhere. For the best results, try to incorporate this exercise into your daily routine.
Use it when you feel stressed: If you’re feeling anxious or overwhelmed, taking a few minutes to breathe deeply can bring your body back to a state of calm and help prevent stress-induced spikes in blood pressure.
Start and end your day with it: Practising this breathing exercise in the morning can set a calm tone for the day ahead, while doing it before bed can help you wind down and improve the quality of your sleep — both of which can have positive effects on your blood pressure.
Conclusion
Deep diaphragmatic breathing is one of the simplest and most effective tools you can use to lower your blood pressure naturally. By activating your parasympathetic nervous system, reducing cortisol, and increasing nitric oxide production, this technique helps you achieve better blood flow and a calmer state of mind.
And the best part? It only takes a few minutes to feel the effects.
Next time you feel your blood pressure creeping up or you’re just in need of a moment of calm, try this breathing exercise and experience its powerful effects for yourself.
