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Home>AlternativeTherapies>BreathingExercises

BreathingExercises
August24,2009WrittenbyJP

[Fonttoosmall?]

Manyofthehealthbenefitsattributedtonaturaltherapiesareactuallybroughtaboutbyreestablishingpracticesthatoughttocomenaturallyto
thebodyandmind.Thereisnothingmorebasicandessentialthanbreathing.Buttheresadifferencebetweenbreathingtoliveandbreathingwith
thegoalofimprovingand/ormaintaininggoodhealth.Thedifferencebetweenthesepracticesgenerallyhastodowithtwofactors:theconscious
actofbreathingproperlyandhowdeeplyairisinhaledandexhaledviathediaphragmandlungs.

Improvingthewaywebreathecandramaticallyimpactbothphysicalandpsychologicalwellbeing.Itdoesrequiresomeeffort,butlikemostother
exercises,regularpracticewillresultinfunctionalgainsinthedailyrespiratoryprocessand,occasionally,profoundbenefitsforawiderangeof
healthconditions.
RecentsurveysbyHarvardUniversityandtheU.S.DepartmentofHealthandHumanServicespointoutthatnearly17%oftheUSpopulation
engageinregularmindbodytherapies.Partofthereasonisthatahighpercentageofpeopleperceivebenefits(70%90%)fromthese
endeavors.Itsinterestingtonotethatofallthemindbodypractitioners,onlyabout13%choosedeepbreathingexercisesasamodeofhealing.
(1,2)
Oneareainwhichbreathingexercisesmaybeparticularlyusefulisinthemanagementofhighbloodpressure.AstudypublishedinJuly2009
testedtheeffectsoffastvs.slowbreathingtechniquesinagroupof60hypertensivemenandwomen.Overthecourseof3months,halfofthe
grouppracticedthefastbreathingroutineandtheremaindertooktheslowroute.Bothtechniquesimprovedbloodpressurereadings.Butitwasthe
slowerbreathinggroupthatdemonstratedgreaterhealthstrides.Itappearsthatthesebenefitscanalsopresentthemselvesintheshortterm.Recent
trialshavedeterminedthatevenonesessionofslowbreathingexercisescanresultinasignificantdecreaseindiastolicandsystolicbloodpressure,
heartrateandrespiratoryrate.Deviceassistedbreathingexercisesandyogabasedbreathingtechniques(bhastrikapranayama)alsoappeartobe
aneffectivemeansofprovokinghypotensiveactivity.(3,4,5,6,7)
Climactericsymptomsrefertothetroublesomesideeffectsofmenopause.Breathingexercisesmaybeahelpfuladjuncttobothconventionaland
holistictherapiesintendedtoeasethechangesthatoccurduringthistimeoflife.ArecentsummaryfromtheUniversityofVirginiacitedpaced
respirationasapotentiallyviablemeansofhelpingtocontrolhotflashesandothermenopausalsymptoms.Severalstudiesfromthepastfew
yearssupportthatassertion.(8)
InOctober2008,an8weektrialinvolving120middleagedwomenfoundthatayogabreathingtechnique(pranayama)decreases
climactericsymptoms,perceivedstress,andneuroticisminperimenopausalwomenbetterthanphysicalexercise.(9)
Symptomaticimprovementincognitivefunctioningsuchasattention,concentration,mentalbalanceandvariousmemoryindexeswere
notedinaJuly2008experiment.Reductionsinhotflashesandnightsweatswerealsorecorded.(10)
A12weekstudythatinvolveda15minutedailypracticeofyogicbreathinghelpedtoimprovetotalmenopausualsymptoms,hotflash
dailyinterferenceandsleepefficiency,disturbances,andquality.(11)

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Theutilityofsuchmindbodypracticesmayhaveanapplicationbeyondthatofjustpersonalhealth.Scholasticandworkplaceperformancecan
alsobenefitfromthechangesthatbreathingexercisescanbringabout.Recentstudiesindicatethatbreathingtherapycan:a)beaneffectivetoolto
combatburnoutforteachersb)helplowerthecardiovascularrisksinducedbyhighstressjobsandc)improveattentionandmental
performanceinstudentsandolderadults.(12,13,14)
Therearemanydifferentrespiratorytechniquesusedtoaddressindividualconcernsandneeds.Thefollowingpracticeisquitegeneralinnature.
Butwhatsimportantishatitcanquicklyimproveyourmentaloutlookandincreasethelevelofoxygenthatmakesitswayintoyoursystem.If
youreinterestedinlearningaboutmoreadvancedtechniques,pleasevisitthefollowinglinks.(15,16,17)
DiaphragmaticBreathing
Step1:Liedowninaquietlocationwithapillowplacedunderyourknees.Chooseanenvironmentwithasmuchfreshairaspossible.
Step2:Placeonehandonthelowerportionofyourstomachandtheotherhandonyourchest.
Step3:Inhaledeeplythroughyournoseandaimtofillyourstomachwithair.Trydoingaslowcountto4asyoubreathein.Note:Thegoalisto
makethehandonyourabdomenriseabovetheleveloftheotherhandthatsonyourchest.
Step4:Holdyourbreathforacountof7.Thiscanbeaquickcount,ifnecessary.
Step5:Exhaletheairslowlyandthoroughlyfromyourmouth.Ideally,youshouldstrivetoexhaletoacountof8ortwicetheamountoftime
youtooktoinhale.
Thisexercisecanbeperformedasoftenasneeded.Someexpertsrecommendstartingoffwithalimitednumberoftherapeuticbreaths(4cycles)
persession.Then,asyourlungcapacityimproves,youcanincreasethenumberofrepetitions.
Acommonconcernisthatbreathingexercisesmaynotbeappropriateforindividualswithpreexistingrespiratorydisorders.Obviouslysuch
exercisesshouldbeevaluatedonacasebycasebasis.Butitshouldbenotedthatmanyscientifictrialssuggestthatbreathingexerciseshavea
positiveeffectoncommonillnessessuchasasthmaandCOPD(chronicobstructivepulmonarydisease).(18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25)
Thefarreachingbenefitsofdeepbreathingexercisesshouldnotunderestimated.Suchasimplepracticehasbeendocumentedashelpingawide
rangeofconditions,suchaschronicfatiguesyndrome,depression,diabetes,headaches,indigestionand,even,panicdisorder.WhatIparticularly
likeaboutthisformoftherapyisthatitmayappealtoindividualswhonormallymightnotbeopentoalternativemedicine.Somepeoplesimply
willnotconsideracupuncture,meditationoryogaasameanstoawellnessend.Butbreathingissomethingthatdoesnotcarrythesameholistic
baggage.Breathingexercisesareeasytoperform,theyrefreeandtheyaddressamostfundamentalneed.So,letsthemostofeachbreathwe
take.(26,27,28,29,30,31,32)
Bewell!
JP

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Tags:asthma,COPD,Exercise
PostedinAlternativeTherapies

4CommentstoBreathingExercises
1. IggyDalrympleSays:
August25th,2009at8:11pm

IusethelongslowdeepbreathingandithasworkedwondersonmyBP.Icheckedtodayanditwas110/66..ofcourseIdoalltheother
goodstuff,exercise,losingweight,gooddiet,etc.
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2. sfauthorSays:
August25th,2009at8:38pm

Niceposting.
3. JPSays:
August25th,2009at9:15pm

Thanksforsharingthat,Iggy.MyfatheralsousesdeepbreathingasatooltomanagehisBP.Hesometimeslooksatabeautifulpictureofa
secludedFijianbeachorthelikewhileinhalingandexhaling.HesaysthatlowershisBPfurther.
Bewell!
JP
4. JPSays:
August25th,2009at9:17pm

Thankyou,sfauthor!
Bewell!
JP

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