Breathing - we do it all day and throughout the night, unconsciously and automatically. In this article, you will learn how special breathing exercises can help you influence your blood pressure and why 4711 is more than just a fragrance.

In general, we do not need to think about breathing; the body does it all by itself to supply all the organs with oxygen. A normal rate is about 12-15 breaths per minute, which means breathing about 17,000-21,000 times over the course of a day. With each breath, we inhale between 500 and 700 ml of the air around us. That averages about 8 liters per minute, so we inhale approximately 11500 liters per day. These values increase even further during physical exertion. We often only become aware of this when the function is impaired and breathing no longer flows easily.

Every mother whose child is not delivered by planned Caesarean section experiences very vividly how breathing-conscious breathing-can also have an effect on an entirely different level. In antenatal classes, she learns breathing techniques that make contractions during childbirth more bearable and alter the perception of pain. However, breathing techniques are now used in a great many areas. For example, they are an essential part of yoga, but are also used medically, including in pulmonology and psychosomatic medicine.

Keeping this power of breathing in mind, it is no longer difficult to believe that blood pressure can also be influenced by breathing techniques.

In a way, this already happens often in everyday life, unfortunately in the wrong direction. Hectic, shallow breathing that only reaches the chest (chest breathing) tends to raise blood pressure. You can counteract this by practicing slowed-down breathing. That means reducing the normal 12-15 breaths per minute - in other words, breathing more slowly. Prof. Dr. Thomas Löw, 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 eau de cologne; it refers to the following exercise: inhale for 4 seconds, exhale for 7 seconds, do this for 11 minutes. This breathing exercise reduces stress  and thereby lowers 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 in patients with hypertension associated with sleep apnea. In the study, participants used a device that guided the breathing rhythm during the training. The rate was at most 10 breaths per minute. Participants did the breathing exercise twice daily for eight weeks (a total of 30 minutes per day). 71% were able to reduce their systolic blood pressure by at least 5 mmHg.

The effect of slowed breathing has been investigated in various studies and its effectiveness in elevated blood pressure has been demonstrated. The effect is particularly impressive with moderately elevated blood pressure and when no other relaxation methods have been used so far. In addition to stress reduction, these breathing exercises also directly affect the sensitivity of baroreflex receptors, which are partly located in the carotid arteries and are involved in blood pressure regulation. The exercises also have positive effects on heart function, which in turn influence blood pressure.

Targeted breathing training using the IMST method can also help lower blood pressure. IMST stands for Inspiratory Muscle Strength Training. It specifically strengthens the muscles used during inhalation. There are various commercially available training devices that increase resistance during inhalation and thus train the muscles.

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So there are different ways to learn and practice slowed breathing. Bottom line: conscious, slow breathing can have a clear effect on blood pressure. Breathing pacers can be used but do not have to be used to achieve an effect. These relatively expensive devices are also now hard to find in stores. Inhaling against resistance, as in IMST training, can also help lower blood pressure. However, it has not been researched as thoroughly as the effects of conscious, slowed breathing. IMST devices are relatively inexpensive. Make sure the device increases resistance when inhaling, not when exhaling.

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