Try these deep breathing exercises for heart health. They’re proven to reduce heart rate, blood pressure, and more!
Your heart rate is influenced by your breathing pattern or rate, whether it be deep or shallow breathing. As you breathe, your cardiovascular system works to transport and circulate oxygen to every cell in the body. Researchers actually discovered that the heart actually communicates to the brain more than the brain to the heart. Each communication that the heart sends to the brain can be impacted by something as simple as your breath.
Normally you breathe with your chest, called shallow breathing. Shallow breathing has been shown to contribute to an increase in stress hormones, fatigue, breathlessness, high blood pressure and more. Deep breathing (also known as diaphragmatic breathing) is the best way to breathe. Diaphragmatic breathing happens when you take a deep inhale, filling your belly full of air and letting go with a great sigh, allowing your belly to concave inward. Research supports that deep breathing exercises can have a positive impact on stress and anxiety, blood pressure, lung capacity, muscle tension, heart disease and so much more.
Minute one
Begin lying flat on the ground with your arms relaxed by your side. Palms up and legs splayed in a comfortable position. Place your left hand on your heart and your right hand on your belly. Just begin to breathe as you would normally.
Minute two
Begin taking deep inhales through your nose and out your nose. Focus on the rise of your belly as you inhale and fall of your belly as you exhale. Don’t judge your breath.
Minute three
Continue with your fluid, deep inhales, and exhales. On every third breath, take a deep inhale through the nose then open your mouth and exhale. On this diaphragmatic exhale, allow your belly to concave inward and try to relax your muscles as much as possible.
Minute four
Minute six
Relax back into a normal breath pattern with the focus of breathing deeper and more intentionally than when you began.
Looking for more heart health tips? https://www.fshealth.com/blog/five-minutes-to-a-healthier-heart
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