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Experts have revealed that a quick and simple exercise you can do at home could help lower your blood pressure “as much as taking medication”. Practising deep breathing every day could have

a significant effect on your health. Having high blood pressure, which is also known as hypertension, means the force of blood against your artery walls is consistently too high. Over time

this can damage the blood vessels as well as your heart and other organs. It is also a major risk factor for a number of potentially fatal medical emergencies such as strokes and heart

attacks. While most people with very high blood pressure will be prescribed medication to keep it under control, there are a number of steps you can take yourself to help. These include

improving your diet and consuming less salt as well as exercising regularly. However, breathing exercises could also help, according to research. PRACTISE SLOW AND DEEP BREATHING In an

article by experts at Harvard Health it was suggested that a regular breathing practice “may reduce blood pressure as much as taking medication”. “The average person breathes in and out some

22,000 times each day, usually with little effort or thought,” it said. “But here's something worth pondering: practicing slow, deep breathing for just a few minutes a day can lower

blood pressure, potentially reducing the first number in a reading (systolic blood pressure) by up to 10 points.” Doctor Kimberly Parks, a cardiologist at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts

General Hospital, also said: "Anyone with stage 1 hypertension, which is defined as a systolic reading of 130 to 139, should know that breathing exercises are an effective way to lower

blood pressure without medication.” The article explained how slowly drawing in air causes the diaphragm, a muscular sheet separating the chest and abdomen, to contract and move downward. As

the lungs fully expand, the vagus nerve, which connects the brain and colon, is stimulated. This triggers the nervous system's "rest and digest" response. With more air in

the lungs, the body and brain receive extra oxygen, leading to an increase in endorphins, which induce feelings of well-being, and a decrease in epinephrine, a hormone associated with

stress. Upon exhalation, the diaphragm moves upward, pressing against the lungs. As blood exits the lungs, blood pressure increases slightly. To offset this rise, the nervous system

automatically decreases heart rate and dilates blood vessels, illustrating the "rest and digest" response once more. Extending exhalation takes advantage of this automatic reflex.

WHAT DOES RESEARCH SAY? A review article published in Frontiers in Physiology in 2023 examined the effects of various breathing exercises on people with high blood pressure. Out of the 20

studies included in the review, 17 reported reductions in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure (diastolic is the second number in a reading). The studies differed significantly in

terms of duration, frequency, and type of breathing exercises performed by the participants, making it difficult to provide a specific recommendation. EXERCISES TO TRY AT HOME Dr Parks

therefore provided some exercises you can try at home. To do so, try counting to five while breathing in through your nose, then exhaling for five counts. "Purse your lips, like

you're blowing out candles on a birthday cake, which will help slow down your exhalation," suggested Dr Parks. You can also try holding your breath after the inhalation phase. A

popular technique is to inhale for four counts, hold for seven, and exhale for eight - but adjust the counts as needed. Audio and visual cues can be useful tools. Search online for guided

breathing exercises or download one of the numerous free apps available for smartphones and smartwatches. The British Heart Foundation (BHF) also provides some breathing exercises to lower

your heart rate and potentially reduce your blood pressure. BOX BREATHING * Breathe in slowly to a count of four. If you want to, place your hands on your belly and feel it expand like a

balloon * After breathing in, hold your breath for another count of four * Breathe out slowly and steadily through your mouth, again counting to four in your mind * After breathing out, hold

your breath again for another count of four * Go back to step four and repeat the process for as long as you want to. THE 4-7-8 TECHNIQUE * Breathe in silently through your nose for a count

of four * After breathing in, hold your breath for a count of seven * Breathe out forcefully through your mouth for a count of eight, making a ‘whoosh’ sound as you let the air out. This

may be easier if you purse your lips * Go back to step one and repeat the process up to three more times, for a total of four rounds. ALTERNATE NOSTRIL BREATHING * Using your right thumb,

press gently on your right nostril to close it * Take a slow, smooth deep breath in through your left nostril * Close your left nostril with your right ring finger (the one next to little

finger) while releasing your thumb from your right nostril. Breathe out slowly through your right nostril * Keeping your left nostril closed, breathe in through your right nostril. Then

close this nostril again * Open your left nostril and breathe out through it * Go back to step one and repeat the process for as long as you want to. If you are concerned about your blood

pressure, you should speak to your GP.