Nearly half of Americans have high blood pressure.
A promising 5-minute daily breathing practice and other proven lifestyle strategies may help change that.
But there’s a more significant threat:high blood pressure.
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If that statistic makes your blood pressure rise, taking a deep breath might help.
And it takes just five minutes a day.
What Is the Link between Breathing and Blood Pressure?
High blood pressure isn’t only about your heart.
It’s also about your breathing muscles.
Enter IMST, a therapydeveloped in the 1980sto help people with respiratory diseases strengthen their diaphragms and breathing muscles.
“In that way, it’s akin to a weightlifting maneuver, such as a bench press.”
Participants were asked to perform 30 breaths per day for six weeks.
Half of the group did high-resistance IMST, while the other half focused on low-resistance.
But the truly jaw-dropping finding is that it’s also as effective as some blood pressure medications.
Why Is IMST So Potent?
Stronger breathing muscles are one reason for IMST’s success, but they aren’t the only one.
But there’s more.
The IMST group also produced more of a blood-pressure-lowering substance called nitric oxide that relaxes the blood vessels.
Of course, easing up on salt when you cook and at the dinner table is a great start.
But the real challenge isn’t what happens at home.
It’s when you eat out.
What if you love to eat out?
“And be on the lookout for salty ingredients like broth, soy sauce and miso.”
The best way to get your fill is by eating lots of fruits and veggies.
In fact, 4 to 5 daily servings of produce can supply 1,500 to 3,000 milligrams worth.
However, if you’re extra motivated,watching the saltshakercan bring your numbers down even more.
And every little bit counts.
So, think progress, not perfection.
But it’s not a substitute for a healthy diet and lifestyle.
Instead, think of it as one more tool in your blood pressure-lowering lineup.
