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5-min breathing workout lowers blood pressure as much as exercise, drugs (2021)

colorado.edu

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Re: 5-min breathing workout lowers blood pressure as much as exercise, drugs (2021)

#71

Post by windexh8er »

nyjah wrote: post #64

If you want to learn more about breathing I recommend checking out the book The Oxygen Advantage by Patrick Mckeown. It's got a bunch of different breathing exercises and ways to measure progress. It basically reteaches you how to breath too, which is fascinating on its own. Worth checking out for sure. https://www.amazon.com/Oxygen-Advantage-Scientifically-Breat...

Oxygen Advantage is a great book. I'd recommend James Nestor's - 'Breath' [0] as a first read, however. I feel like the book has more real world application and I picked up a number of things outside of what I learned studying Hof breathwork. I also studied, prior to both books, with Wim Hof in Poland in 2017 on one of his week long expeditions. The in person experience of group breath work is something to experience if you've never. It's so much different than working on it solo - especially if you're new to any of these methods.

Breath work and cold exposure have been a large part of my life after reading 'What Doesn't Kill Us' by Scott Carney [1]. That was the book that drove me want to experience it first hand.

[0] https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/48890486-breath [1] https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30039048-what-doesn-t-ki...

Re: 5-min breathing workout lowers blood pressure as much as exercise, drugs (2021)

#72

Post by jonnycomputer »

rsanek wrote: post #68
jonnycomputer wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Those are casual systolic blood pressure readings (from 135±2 mm Hg to 126±3 mm Hg). Table S2 are ambulatory.

Do you have thoughts or resources on comparing the two types of readings?

No, sorry; I was just learning about them now, because they were terms in the paper I didn't understand.

Re: 5-min breathing workout lowers blood pressure as much as exercise, drugs (2021)

#73

Post by thenerdhead »

After reading Wim Hof and James Nestor a couple years ago during the pandemic, I used their techniques in full while battling long Covid.

I had a blood pressure monitor and pulse oximeter on my bedside table that I would experiment with doing these various techniques and seeing my heart rate go down, my blood pressure go down, my anxiety would disappear, lung/chest inflammation would settle, and even oxygen levels increase up to 5%.

I did this primarily because Covid reduced my average running mile time by around 20%. I was hopeful that I could make a full recovery which I did and then some.

This new tool I believe saved my life, and I’m excited to use it for the rest of it.

Re: 5-min breathing workout lowers blood pressure as much as exercise, drugs (2021)

#74

Post by modeless »

foxes wrote: post #31

What is the obsession of looking for a cheap way out if you are able bodied. Literally just go for a walk, run, or ride. I highly doubt doing some small activity can really compare to the full health benefits of some daily exercise.

Why are you punishing yourself with unnecessary work if the easy way gets most of the benefit? Literally just breathe.

"But I like exercise" OK that's great for you, I have other things to do and not enough time to do them.

Re: 5-min breathing workout lowers blood pressure as much as exercise, drugs (2021)

#75

Post by inter_netuser »

thenerdhead wrote: post #73

After reading Wim Hof and James Nestor a couple years ago during the pandemic, I used their techniques in full while battling long Covid. I had a blood pressure monitor and pulse oximeter on my bedside table that I would experiment with doing these various techniques and seeing my heart rate go down, my blood pressure go down, my anxiety would disappear, lung/chest inflammation would settle, and even oxygen levels in…

>their techniques

can you link to the exact regimen? tia

Re: 5-min breathing workout lowers blood pressure as much as exercise, drugs (2021)

#77

Post by thenerdhead »

inter_netuser wrote: post #75
thenerdhead wrote: post #73

After reading Wim Hof and James Nestor a couple years ago during the pandemic, I used their techniques in full while battling long Covid. I had a blood pressure monitor and pulse oximeter on my bedside table that I would experiment with doing these various techniques and seeing my heart rate go down, my blood pressure go down, my anxiety would disappear, lung/chest inflammation would settle, and even oxygen levels in…

>their techniques can you link to the exact regimen? tia

https://www.wimhofmethod.com/breathing-exercises (YouTube video is best)

Nestor stuff is short. Breathe through nose, tape your mouth, right nostril inhale/left exhale.

Re: 5-min breathing workout lowers blood pressure as much as exercise, drugs (2021)

#78

Post by chubot »

thenerdhead wrote: post #73

After reading Wim Hof and James Nestor a couple years ago during the pandemic, I used their techniques in full while battling long Covid. I had a blood pressure monitor and pulse oximeter on my bedside table that I would experiment with doing these various techniques and seeing my heart rate go down, my blood pressure go down, my anxiety would disappear, lung/chest inflammation would settle, and even oxygen levels in…

I got a pulse oximeter a couple years ago too, and it was eye opening (before COVID, and I didn't get COVID).

The realtime feedback is useful and actionable. Breathing more slowly, exhaling more than inhaling (counterintuitive), pausing, and breathing through the nose definitely make a difference for me.

But everyone is a little different so you have to experiment. Breathing is very multidimensional and hard to explain. The Nestor book is a good intro, and I've mentioned it on HN a few times before.

I'm a big believer now. It is almost laughably simple, and I have to cite the fact the fact that no company profits if you breathe better, sleep better, etc. It's a trite saying but true ...

Re: 5-min breathing workout lowers blood pressure as much as exercise, drugs (2021)

#80

Post by m0ngr31 »

r3trohack3r wrote: post #27

My wife has white coat syndrome. There was a time (~7 years ago). We were living in NYC. The doctors office was at the top of 5 flights of stairs and the elevator was out. Having just climbed 5 flights of stairs and telling the doctor she has white coat syndrome, they _immediately_ take her blood pressure. Noting it’s (unsurprisingly) high, suggests she go on blood pressure medication. A decision that would surely ha…

I had a similar situation a few years ago.

I knew I had strep, went to urgent care to get tested so I could get antibiotics. They said there was no way I had strep, and told me the white spots all over my throat were "stress cankers". I was really sick and ended up going back 2 hours later because I wasn't breathing well. They just blew it off again and wouldn't do anything for me.

5 hours later I was in the ER because I couldn't breathe and ended up having strep and pneumonia. ER doctor said I would have died if I had waited longer since I was had sepsis. He also told me that the strep test is only 50% effective so there is no way they should have been that dismissive of me.

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