Breathing Techniques to Help Your Heart Health

A modern lifestyle can be tough on your heart health. Incorporating breathing techniques into your day can help support your heart by decreasing stress and tension.

Some breathing techniques that are beneficial for your heart health are:

• The 4-7-8 Breath
• Deep Breathing
• Alternate Nostril Breathing

Feeling like you’re being pulled in a million directions every day is exhausting. When it seems like there aren’t enough hours in the day, you may not make the best choices when it comes to food, exercise, and sleep. Breathing techniques can be used at any time to help you cope with the stresses of modern life.

We’ll explain how to use each type of breathing technique so you can try them out and see which ones work best for you. Breathing exercises are easy, free, and can be done anywhere so they are a great tool for supporting a healthy heart.

The 4-7-8 Breath

Breathing techniques are a wonderful way to calm the mind and body. The 4-7-8 breath was developed by Dr. Andrew Weil and inspired by pranayama, which is ancient yogic breathing. The goal of the 4-7-8 breath is to deeply relax you. The philosophy behind breathing techniques such as this is that holding your breath briefly can help reoxygenate the body.

How to Do the 4-7-8 Breath

1. Sit or lie down in a comfortable spot. If sitting, try to maintain good posture.
2. With your mouth closed, let the tip of your tongue rest against the roof of your mouth, behind your top front teeth.
3. With your tongue in position, part your lips and push all the air out of your mouth. It can be easier to do this if you purse your lips and make a whooshing sound.
4. Close your lips, then inhale through your nose for a count of 4.
5. Hold your breath for a count of 7.
6. Part your lips and exhale completely for a count of 8.
7. Repeat this cycle 3 more times.

After you become well-practiced with this technique, you can build up to completing the cycle 8 times. If you try to complete too many cycles early on, you may become dizzy so take it gradually at first. If you’re dizzy after 4 cycles, you can cut back to 3 if needed.

You should become very relaxed from the 4-7-8 breath so it’s best to practice this technique in a location where you won’t need to remain alert.

Benefits of the 4-7-8 Breath

• You can expect to feel deeply relaxed.
• Some people find that using this breathing technique regularly helps them to fall asleep more quickly.

Deep Breathing

Deep breathing is one of the most common forms of breathing techniques. It is usually recommended when you’re under stress or having trouble breathing. The idea is to gradually slow down and deepen the breath for a calming effect that can settle down a racing heart.

How to Do Deep Breathing

1. Sit or lie down in a comfortable spot. If sitting, try to maintain good posture.
2. Place one hand on your belly and the other on your chest.
3. Slowly breathe in all the way and feel your belly fill up with air.
4. Slowly exhale and allow all the air to leave your belly.
5. Repeat this cycle 3 more times.

Benefits of Deep Breathing

• This technique can help steady an irregular heartbeat.
• When feeling anxious, deep breathing can help calm you down.

Slowing down your breath can help slow down your heart rate. Those who suffer from heart conditions like arrhythmia may benefit from stabilizing their breathing through these breathing techniques. Regardless of whether you have a heart condition, breathing exercises can help promote the health of your heart through stress and anxiety reduction.

Alternate Nostril Breathing

Alternate nostril breathing is another yogic breathing technique that can help calm the mind and body. Some people also use this breath to settle their mind before meditation or a restorative yoga session.

How to Do Alternate Nostril Breathing

1. Sit down in a comfortable spot, maintaining good posture.
2. Place your left hand on your left knee with your palm facing upward.
3. Fold the index finger and middle finger of your right hand down toward your palm.
4. Using the thumb of your right hand, close off your right nostril. Slowly exhale through your left nostril for a count of 4, then inhale slowly for a count of 4.
5. Lift your thumb off your right nostril. Use the ring finger of your right hand to close off your left nostril.
6. Exhale slowly through your right nostril for a count of 4, then inhale slowly for a count of 4.
7. Repeat this cycle 4 more times.

As you become more experienced with this technique, you can slowly increase the length of your exhalation up to a count of 8. You could also add in a short pause between switching fingers.

Benefits of Alternate Nostril Breathing

• This breathing exercise can support the circulatory and respiratory systems.
• You can expect to feel more centered and relaxed.

How Can Breathing Techniques Be Beneficial to Your Heart Health?

The root of many health problems, including those of heart, is often stress. Health issues are frequently either brought on by stress or exacerbated by stress. Breathing techniques have long been used for stress reduction which promotes better heart health.

Breathing techniques can help keep your heart healthier by:

• Slowing down your heart rate
• Reducing your blood pressure
• Stimulating the vagus nerve
• Releasing some of the pressure on the heart from the diaphragm and lungs
• Improving oxygenation
• Increasing lung volume
• Encouraging blood circulation

An erratic heart rate and high blood pressure can put you at a higher risk for heart disease, so getting these under control through breathing techniques will benefit your heart health. The vagus nerve is responsible for the fight or flight response to stress and anxiety. Stimulating it through breathing exercises helps to calm the mind and body, easing it out of crisis mode.

When you’re under stress, whether it is physical, emotional, or psychological, your heart can experience physical symptoms. The diaphragm and lungs can put more pressure on the heart, oxygen can be impeded, and circulation can become restricted. Practicing breathing techniques can help relieve the heart of the side effects of stress. If practiced regularly, you can improve your stress response to help you maintain a calmer attitude throughout your day. 

Summary

Now you know about three of the best breathing techniques that can be beneficial for your heart, along with your physical and mental wellbeing. You also know how to perform each of these breathing exercises so you can be prepared the next time you feel stress creeping up on you. Something as simple as breathing can help you become calmer very quickly, so it’s an important tool to add to your heart health care plan.

While breathing techniques are helpful for a strong cardiovascular system, it’s important to seek out professional care if you have a history of heart disease or experience any symptoms related to heart disease. If you’re experiencing symptoms of poor cardiovascular health that don’t respond to diet and lifestyle changes, contact us today to book an appointment.