Performing daily breathing exercises might your lower blood pressure and improve your cardiovascular health. In a new study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology, researchers at the University of Colorado had healthy volunteers between the ages of 18 to 82 perform daily five-minute breathing exercises using a resistance-breathing training device. They observed that 30 breaths per day for six weeks using such a device lowered systolic blood pressure by about 9 millimeters of mercury, essentially the amount produced by aerobic exercise or most common blood pressure medications. And the 9 mm of mercury blood pressure reduction from these breathing exercises is close to the 10 mmHg drop that reduces the risk of stroke 35 percent and the risk of heart disease 25 percent. This breathing training might be especially useful for people who can’t perform regular cardiovascular exercise.
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