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The breath training they are referring to is breathing through a device with flow resistance, making it harder to pull in the air. (30 times per day for six wee

The breath training they are referring to is breathing through a device with flow resistance, making it harder to pull in the air. (30 times per day for six weeks). Strengthening the breathing muscles is what improves the blood pressure, according to the article.

ALittleLight 4y ago
That's a neat idea. I used to keep an incentive spirometer on my desk and use it throughout the day on the theory that "exercise" would improve my breathing. I noticed a lot of improvement at first, probably more due to my understanding how to use/game the spirometer, and then not much improvement after that. Never thought about measuring other things (like blood pressure) with it. Now I'm going to get one of these things!
elliekelly 4y ago
Can someone kindly ELI5 the relationship between blood pressure and diaphragm strength?
- thenerdhead 4y ago
  Deep breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system which decreases the heart rate and dilates blood vessels, reducing your overall blood pressure. Strengthening the muscles you use to breathe make it easier to do and thus puts your body in a relaxed state more often. You don't need a device to do this. You can also do any popular deep breathing exercise like Wim Hof, square breathing, 4/7/8 breathing, or restricting airflow with thumbs in nostrils. A device may be more effective at training your resistance however.
  - diroussel 4y ago
    As well as strengthening your breathing muscles (there are very many I guess) restringing air flow on an in breath, like in Ujjayi Breathing, brings more blood into the alveoli because of the low pressure in the lungs. I guess this would have some effect like enhanced gas exchange.
  - nnlsoccer 4y ago
    Additionally to the parasympathetic changes, there are mechanical effects. the lungs are a negative pressure system. When you breathe, you drop the diaphragm, increasing the negative pressure in your chest while also increasing the positive pressure in your abdomen. Blood flows through the vena cava (the main vein bringing blood back to the heart which runs through the abdomen and chest) towards the negative pressure. This means more blood gets back to the heart (“increased preload”) and so the right heart can pump more blood to the lungs, and more blood gets to the left heart to be sent around the body without the heart muscle actually having to do more work.
    - elliekelly 4y ago
      Thank you! This is exactly the answer I was looking for!
tdeck 4y ago
I wonder if you could just get a regular or boba straw and practice breathing through that for the same benefit.
diroussel 4y ago
You have this device built in to you body already. In yoga there is a practice called Ujjayi Breathing where you restrict airflow in and out of the lungs via the the throat, making a soft sound. This is often combined with meditation or sometimes uses in very energetic situations to calm the breath.

ALittleLight 4y ago

That's a neat idea. I used to keep an incentive spirometer on my desk and use it throughout the day on the theory that "exercise" would improve my breathing. I noticed a lot of improvement at first, probably more due to my understanding how to use/game the spirometer, and then not much improvement after that. Never thought about measuring other things (like blood pressure) with it. Now I'm going to get one of these things!

elliekelly 4y ago

Can someone kindly ELI5 the relationship between blood pressure and diaphragm strength?

thenerdhead 4y ago
Deep breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system which decreases the heart rate and dilates blood vessels, reducing your overall blood pressure. Strengthening the muscles you use to breathe make it easier to do and thus puts your body in a relaxed state more often. You don't need a device to do this. You can also do any popular deep breathing exercise like Wim Hof, square breathing, 4/7/8 breathing, or restricting airflow with thumbs in nostrils. A device may be more effective at training your resistance however.
- diroussel 4y ago
  As well as strengthening your breathing muscles (there are very many I guess) restringing air flow on an in breath, like in Ujjayi Breathing, brings more blood into the alveoli because of the low pressure in the lungs. I guess this would have some effect like enhanced gas exchange.
- nnlsoccer 4y ago
  Additionally to the parasympathetic changes, there are mechanical effects. the lungs are a negative pressure system. When you breathe, you drop the diaphragm, increasing the negative pressure in your chest while also increasing the positive pressure in your abdomen. Blood flows through the vena cava (the main vein bringing blood back to the heart which runs through the abdomen and chest) towards the negative pressure. This means more blood gets back to the heart (“increased preload”) and so the right heart can pump more blood to the lungs, and more blood gets to the left heart to be sent around the body without the heart muscle actually having to do more work.
  - elliekelly 4y ago
    Thank you! This is exactly the answer I was looking for!

tdeck 4y ago

I wonder if you could just get a regular or boba straw and practice breathing through that for the same benefit.

diroussel 4y ago

You have this device built in to you body already. In yoga there is a practice called Ujjayi Breathing where you restrict airflow in and out of the lungs via the the throat, making a soft sound. This is often combined with meditation or sometimes uses in very energetic situations to calm the breath.