Breathe Your Way to a Healthier Heart
Of the nine secrets to a healthier heart that I found over at CNN.com compiled by Scott Westcott, the one that really applies to me is #8.
8. Breathe deeper
You can lower your blood pressure by taking 10 breaths per minute (instead of the usual 16 to 19) for 15 minutes a day over two months, studies show. Researcher David Anderson, Ph.D., a hypertension expert at the National Institute on Aging, says shallow breathing (more beats per minute) may delay your body’s excretion of salt, a high-blood-pressure trigger.
In. Out. In. Out. Whooooo. I think I’ve been holding my breath almost all day! Maybe one of these cutey Perfect Petzzz animals could help to remind me. All they do is snooze and breathe. In. Out. In. Out.
Tags: heart, heart disease, diseases, illness, health
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POSTED IN: Hearty Tips
4 opinions for Breathe Your Way to a Healthier Heart
Robyn McMaster
Feb 27, 2007 at 10:16 pm
Hi Hsien, Isn’t it amazing that such a small thing as breathing deeply can affect your heart. It’s also great for the brain. Folks who sit a lot at desks can optimize their brain’s potential by scheduling times to take really deep breaths.
Even if your job prevents much moving much on the job, you can still breathe deeply to make a difference!!
Hsien-Hsien Lei, PhD
Feb 27, 2007 at 11:34 pm
Robyn: Hi! Your name sounded so familiar to me that I had to Google you. I must have somehow seen your name in connection with Dr. Weber. Thanks for the comment and let’s all take a deep breath together. :)
Robyn McMaster
Feb 28, 2007 at 12:40 am
By all means - Ellen and I just took a brisk walk! I’m glad to discover your site!
A Hearty Life » A Hearty Life Is About You and Your Heart
Mar 8, 2007 at 11:53 am
[…] Certainly, I am an advocate of modern medicine and feature the latest research I think could have significant impact on your heart health or are simply cool. I also see that alternative approaches might also be complementary. Otherwise, why would I write about the benefits of tea, deep breathing, exercise, natural alternatives to statins, and talk about using snake venom to treat stroke patients? But the fact remains that no amount of exercising or apple eating can negate the utility of cholesterol testing, heart imaging, and heart transplants. […]
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