Five minutes a day of this kind of breathing lowered blood pressure as much as some pills
The one thing
Breathe in hard against resistance for 30 breaths a day.
It is called inspiratory muscle strength training. You inhale through a small handheld device that pushes back, which works the breathing muscles like weights work your arms.
Do it today
- Get an inspiratory muscle trainer. They are small, handheld, and sold online.
- Set it to a challenging resistance and take 30 strong inhales. It takes about five minutes.
- Repeat six days a week. The study ran for six weeks.
What the study found
Systolic blood pressure fell about 9 points, more than the drop usually seen from walking 30 minutes a day, five days a week. The function of the blood vessel lining improved by 45%. Most of the benefit was still there six weeks after people stopped.
- Who
- 36 healthy adults aged 50 to 79 with above-normal systolic blood pressure (120 or higher).
- Type of study
- Randomized, placebo-controlled trial at the University of Colorado Boulder.
- Keep in mind
- A small, six-week study. Larger and longer trials are underway.
Check first: If you have a lung condition or a heart condition, ask your doctor before using a breathing trainer.
Source: Craighead et al., Journal of the American Heart Association, 2021
Educational information, not medical advice. Read our medical disclaimer.