Great news! Calling anyone that struggles to maintain a stable blood pressure.
A study by the University of Colorado Boulder, published in the Journal of American Heart Association has revealed results that point to a new breathing technique that reduces high blood pressure, from just five minutes engagement a day.
We’re listening…
Why did the study take place?
As hypertension is one of the most common medical disorders across the globe, researchers have been experimenting with medications, strategies – and now breathing techniques, to bring some relief to those that suffer with high blood pressure.
The technique has been aptly described as “strength training for your breathing muscles” and refers to High-Resistance Inspiratory Muscle Strength Training, or IMST, for short. This technique was developed in the 1980s, so it’s been around for a while, but only recently has it been found that this breathing technique evokes the same blood pressure lowering results as medication and aerobic exercise.
What is IMST?
IMST refers to a breathing technique that requires patients to breathe through a handheld device that provides resistance, to enhance muscle strength. Simple, but effective.
In the 1980s when this technique was first discovered, doctors recommended the strategy for thirty minutes a day, but recently these blood pressure researchers wanted to investigate whether this approach could be improved and enhanced as a more time efficient coping mechanism.
Needless to say, the results are great, and it is potentially life changing for those that struggle with high blood pressure and limited mobility.
What is the study, and how did it work?
The study is pretty simple.
A team of researchers recruited 36 participants, aged between 50 and 79. All participants were generally in fit health, but suffered from hypertension – high blood pressure. The researchers then split the 36 participants into two groups, and one engaged in the IMST technique, whereas the other half engaged in a placebo exercise, which inflicted lower resistance levels than IMST.
To ensure that the results were not altered or affected, none of the participants were aware of which group they were in. Pretty clever stuff.
Six weeks into the study, all the participants were assessed. It was found that the group of participants who engaged in IMST saw their systolic blood pressure reduce significantly, by an average of nine points.
Amazingly, these results are above the results that people of similar age and health achieved through thirty minutes of daily exercise. Even more impressive, is that these results rival the effects of medications that have been formulated to reduce blood pressure.
What are the implications of IMST?
What are the implications? Well, they’re massive.
Research has shown that in the United Kingdom, high blood pressure is one of the most important risk factors when it comes to complications with cardiovascular health. Fact.
Research has also shown that 44% of men and 33% of women have high blood pressure, so this issue isn’t one to be ignored.
Unfortunately, for an array of different reasons ranging from physical, mental and environmental factors, many people across the globe are restricted when it comes to getting ample amounts of physical, aerobic exercise every day.
In addition to this, across the world, many people don’t have access to, or cannot afford healthcare and medications. This means that many people who would benefit from blood pressure reducing medications don’t have access to them.
The results of this investigation show that these people are no longer disadvantaged. By engaging in IMST for five minutes once a day, the results can be staggering. IMST can be done wherever, whenever.
How can I manage my blood pressure?
Due to the prevalence of hypertension, this question is a pretty common one. The good news is that there are a few ways to do this, and they can be implemented into your daily life pretty easily:
- Engage in regular exercise, particularly cardio
- Limit your alcohol intake and drink in moderation
- Try and reduce your stress levels where possible
- Cut back on caffeine, there are better ways to boost your energy
- Ditch the salt! It dehydrates you, anyway
- If you’re a smoker, it’s time to put that habit to bed
- Eat a healthy, balanced diet
Summary
If you’re somebody that struggles with your blood pressure, don’t worry. You’re not alone. As we’ve outlined above, there are plenty of ways to keep your blood pressure in check, so if you’re looking for advice on how to lower your blood pressure, here is a great place to start.
As always at Innermost, we recommend a healthy, balanced diet with plenty of exercise, rest and nutritional supplements to help you live a healthy live, every day.
Talking of, if you’re looking for some assistance with that side of things, we recommend checking out The Detox Booster. It’s a great place to start.
