Deep Breathing Exercise

Deep breathing helps soothe your nervous system while regulating your heart rate and other essential body functions.

• Inhale for a count of four, you may find it helpful to place your hand on your abdomen as you slowly breathe in through your nose and feel as it expands (can add one physiological sigh per inhale)

• Hold the breath for a count of four

• Exhale for a count of eight, you may find it helpful to exhale slowly through pursed lips

*A recent study by the Journal of the American Heart Association found you may help improve your blood pressure with five minutes of breathing exercises six days per week. By strength-training their breathing muscles, test subjects experienced similar improvements than if they walked 30 minutes per day or took blood pressure medication. Many patients look to lower blood pressure through breathing as an alternative to medication

-Breathing Techniques That Lower Your Blood Pressure