Breathing Against High Blood Pressure

Breathing - we do it all day and even at night, unconsciously and automatically. In this article, you will learn how you can influence your blood pressure through specific breathing exercises and why 4711 is not just a fragrance.

In general, we don't have to think about breathing; the body does it on its own to supply all organs with oxygen. Normal is about 12-15 breaths per minute, which means breathing approximately 17,000 - 21,000 times a day. With each breath, we inhale between 500 and 700 ml of the surrounding air. Averaged out, that's about 8 liters per minute, which totals around 11,500 liters a day. Under stress, these values can even increase. We often only become aware of this when this function is disturbed and breathing no longer flows easily.

The fact that breathing, conscious breathing, can also have a significant effect on a completely different level is vividly experienced by every mother whose child is not born via a planned cesarean section. She learns breathing techniques in childbirth preparation that make contractions more bearable and change the perception of pain. Breathing techniques are now applied in many areas. They are, for example, an essential part of yoga, but are also used medically in areas such as pulmonary medicine and psychosomatics.

When we consider the power of breathing, it is no longer hard to believe that blood pressure can also be influenced by breathing techniques.

In a way, this often happens in everyday life, unfortunately in the wrong direction. Due to hectic and shallow breathing that only reaches the chest (chest breathing), blood pressure tends to rise. This can be counteracted by practicing slowed breathing. This means reducing the normal 12-15 breaths per minute, thus breathing more slowly. Prof. Dr. Thomas Löw, a professor of psychosomatics and psychotherapy at the University of Regensburg, suggests a simple breathing exercise: 4711. This has nothing to do with the well-known fragrance but refers to the following exercise: inhale for 4 seconds, exhale for 7 seconds, and perform for 11 minutes. This breathing exercise reduces stress and thereby lowers the blood pressure.

Help with the exercise: 4-7-11 Breathing Exercise on Spotify

A study showed that lowering blood pressure through breathing exercises is even possible for patients suffering from hypertension in connection with sleep apnea. In the study, participants received assistance from a device that set the breathing rhythm during the exercise time. This was a maximum of 10 breaths per minute. The participants performed the breathing exercise twice daily for eight weeks (a total of 30 minutes daily). 71% were able to lower their systolic blood pressure by at least 5 mmHg.

The effect of slowed breathing has been studied in various studies, and its effectiveness in cases of elevated blood pressure has been demonstrated. The effect is particularly impressive in cases of moderately elevated blood pressure values and when no other relaxation methods have been applied. In addition to stress reduction, these breathing exercises also have a direct impact on the sensitivity of the baroreceptor reflexes, which are located in the carotid arteries and are involved in blood pressure regulation. Furthermore, the exercises positively affect heart function, which in turn influences blood pressure.

Targeted breathing training using the IMST method can also be helpful in lowering blood pressure. IMST stands for Inspiratory Muscle Strength Training. It specifically strengthens the muscles that are engaged during inhalation. There are various commercially available training devices that increase resistance during inhalation, thereby training the muscles.

There are various options available to learn and practice slowed breathing. Ultimately, it remains clear that conscious and slow breathing can have a significant impact on blood pressure. So-called breathing rhythms can be used but are not necessary to achieve an effect. These relatively expensive devices are also hardly available in stores anymore. Inhaling against resistance, as in IMST training, can also be helpful in lowering blood pressure. However, it has not been researched as extensively as the effects of conscious, slowed breathing. Devices for IMST training are relatively inexpensive. However, it is important to ensure that the device increases resistance during inhalation, not during exhalation.

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