Lower Your Blood Pressure w/ Breathing Exercises (IMST)

If you have high blood pressure and you’re looking for a natural, scientifically proven way to lower it, this video is for you.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death worldwide, and high blood pressure is a major contributing factor, affecting 25-50 percent of the adult population in most countries. Physical exercise, diet and medication can all make a huge difference, but resistance breathing – also known as inspiratory muscle strength training (IMST) – is a lesser known, clinically proven strategy that delivers results with just 10 minutes of daily practice.

In this video we’ll share some of the key scientific findings around resistance breathing and blood pressure, followed by a very simple practice that you can try at home. With consistent practice, most people can reduce their systolic blood pressure by 4-9 mmHg.

VIDEO CONTENTS
00:00 Breathing & Blood Pressure
00:40 Safety
00:52 Research
02:02 Lifestyle
03:36 How IMST Works
05:18 Clinical Results
05:50 How to Use a Respiratory Training Device
08:05 Resistance Breathing Practice

DISCLAIMER – This video is for educational purposes only. High blood pressure is potentially life threatening. Before you try any new self-care routines, please check with your doctor. Do not, under any circumstances, alter or discontinue any medication without consulting your physician.

HOW IT WORKS
The initial study using inspiratory muscle strength training (IMST) was published in 2011, and subsequent studies provide equally compelling results. To practice, you place an inexpensive air restricting device in your mouth and inhale forcefully, intentionally stressing the muscles of respiration, most notably your diaphragm, intercostal muscles, and accessory muscles of the chest, neck, and shoulders.

The clinical research suggests that optimal practice includes 5-minute breathing sessions repeated twice daily at 75 percent of your maximum resistance. How does this work? Imagine you did bicep curls with a dumbbell, the weight would add resistance to your curl and stress your muscles, encouraging a strength adaptation over time. The same is true with resistance breathing. The added effort forces you to breathe with greater muscle intensity, and this allows you to safely build respiratory muscle strength.

EXERCISE WE’LL LEARN
* Resistance breathing (IMST)

BEST PRACTICES
Breathing should be challenging, but not uncomfortable during this practice and it should not produce adverse effects. If you feel any dizziness, headache, or breathlessness, back off and do one breath per minute instead of two. Always err on the side of caution. Do not practice this while exercising, driving, or operating a vehicle – you should always be seated.

RESEARCH

WANT MORE?

Got a question? Please post down below.

#BreathingExercises #HighBloodPressure #hypertension

[YOGABODY.Official]

Don't yet have a breathing device? Check out some of my other breathing exercises on my channel. Remember to grab the PDF in the description. Hope this is helpful! - Lucas @ YOGABODY

[damngoten]

Wow!!! I’ve noticed that when I’m extremely anxious or in a panic. I shallow breathe very much, I have short breathes in my upper chest. As a result I’ve had high bp readings of 160:90, yet when I’ve done deep breathing techniques and I’m in a relaxed state I’ve gone to 123-75. Just insane.
As someone who’s battled w anxiety for many years, doctors don’t tell u alot of this, instead they want to prescribe all kinds of anxiety pills and bp medicine.

[CivicTelevisionInd]

I am a competitive powerlifter and consequently have to weight quite a bit more than my natural set point to be competitive. The process of gaining the weight over the years had taken a toll on my blood pressure. But after three weeks of this exercise twice a day, my BP has gone from 150/100 down to 119/69. I made no other changes to my diet, exercise or body weight. I have sent this video to every single strength athlete I know.

[mitchellhawkes]

I fought traffic, got highly stressed and barely made my annual doctor appointment. They hooked me up to their machine, and my first-blush BP was 166/95...pretty awful. Stress and the "white-coat effect' were in full flower.
I said, "Give me a few minutes." They gave me a few minutes. I closed my eyes, used THE ABOVE breathing techniques, and my pressure dropped to 127/77. Holy Macaroni. My nurse and doctor were STUNNED by my sudden BP reduction.

[mrgovin]

You may not be a doctor or a medical practitioner but you are the best. Dr

[dan]

Also- lack of SLEEP over time plays a factor in high numbers. Most people including those with hypertension don't get 8 hours of quality sleep per day. Recently it's been shown that even short(25-45 minute) noontime naps can have positive effects in lowering blood pressure as well.

[jackflanagle]

I read a report on Yahoo in summer of 2021 about this. I immediately bought a device (a cheap one also) and have been doing it ever since. I followed the protocol from the Univ. of Colorado described in the news article which is: a set of 6 breaths, rest one minute or more, repeat four more times, done once per day, six days per week. (With gradual increase in resistance). I'm going to give this somewhat different approach a try as well. Imagine, a technique that doesn't involve ONGOING MEDS (and their side effects) or expensive equipment. NEVER saw another article about it until this video. Thanks.

[abnerdayrit]

I've done breathing exercise when i watched this breathing exercise. It lowers my blood pressure. Thank you for this awesome video!

[cloutfiendahh]

im going to get one because of your video! i been on the fence thinking of buying one because i use to smoke. im still very young and walk evey day im pretty active but i feel like this will help my lungs get back on track

[willhaynie]

I been doing this wrong. I been inhaling and exhaling through the devise. I have the (expand a lung) devise for about 2yrs. The reason I started to look into how to use the devise cause the hospital (just had a hip replacement) gave me their version to exercise my lung after I woke up from surgery and they told me to inhale through their devise then exhale through my nose. I then got confused cause I been doing my devise these 2yrs as stated above! Thank you for a great presentation that I was able to understand!! 👍🏼

I checked your YouTube page for the future when I am healed!! I noticed lots of your yoga moves are the ones the hip doctor is telling me to avoid! I thought I could go back to working out and stretching! I am 71yo man and try to maintain healthy habits! I did not realize I was going to be handicapped on lots of basic movements. Dang.

[sooniemystic]

Hi Lucas! Thank you for this video! This is exactly what I explain to my clients who come to my counselling sessions. Medications are only one part of the equation (and sometimes we even don't need the; I agree every situation is unique), we have to help our body with natural behaviors such as breathing and make them a part of our life. Change in behavior is what leads to prolonged changes. I'll be glad to share this video with others!

[samirsharma]

Thanks Lucas. Great video. My mild hypertension is almost gone. Down to minimal medication. Hope to go without that in time and regular monitoring

[JohnMcCreery]

A friend told us about this practice. You just made it real.

[satChitAananda]

In Hatha yoga, there is a practice called Kaki mudra which creates the Same effect without using any device. Hari OM

[xcehkpn]

Great content. I have done this exercise every hour and yes it does lower your BP !

[WandaLee-of]

I just ordered a breathing device. I am so excited, and have already just by doing exercises manually-- in just a few days, I've gotten results, thanks.

[senithisap]

You are simply superb mam that you are explaining in away that all people can understand and do your exercises, thank you sir, keep doing so many as like me can get clear idea of the disease of what themselves have, iwas going through siatic pain for 8 year, but now the stretches what you gave, My son is 11years old and he had a pain in his heels often, he is going for a shuttle, in a week 6 days, so please suggest any remedies or why these pain are going through,

[joannebarretto]

Thank you so much, I felt a lot of calm and peace

[CraigAnderson-hh]

Well articulated and easy to follow your instructions. Thanks!

[daviddavirgi]

I use a RESPeRATE which is similar but I am wanting to increase stamina and thanks for your demonstration.