Did you know that you have a powerful tool for managing blood pressure with you at all times? It’s your own breath. When we’re stressed, our body is in ‘fight or flight’ mode, which drives blood pressure up. Slow, deep breathing acts like a switch, turning on your body’s ‘rest and relax’ system to naturally lower your pressure.
In this video, I'm going to teach you two of the best, science-backed breathing exercises for lowering blood pressure. They are incredibly simple, you can master them in minutes, and you can do them anywhere, anytime.
Exercise #1: Equal Breathing.
Our first exercise is called Equal Breathing. It is one of the simplest and most effective ways to lower blood pressure because it helps you find a sort of ‘magic rhythm.’ Scientific research has found that breathing at a rate of about 6 slow, deep breaths per minute has the biggest positive impact on your cardiovascular system.
Here’s how you do it.
Step 1: Assume a comfortable, upright posture.
Step 2: Begin by inhaling slowly through your nose for a mental count of five.
Step 3: Without pausing, exhale slowly through your nose for the same mental count of five.
Step 4: Repeat this cycle of inhaling for five and exhaling for five continuously. This pattern results in a respiratory rate of exactly 6 breaths per minute.
Fantastic. You can feel how that simple rhythm starts to calm everything down.
Exercise #2: 4-7-8 Breathing.
Our second exercise is the 4-7-8 breath. This technique is fantastic for deep relaxation because it emphasizes a long exhalation, which is designed to maximize the ‘rest and relax’ response from your nervous system.
Here are the steps:
Step 1: Exhale completely through your mouth, making a "whoosh" sound.
Step 2: Close your mouth and inhale quietly through your nose for a mental count of four.
Step 3: Hold your breath for a count of seven.
Step 4: Exhale completely through your mouth, making the "whoosh" sound, for a count of eight.
Step 5: This completes one breath. Repeat the cycle up to four times.
These two exercises are fantastic, powerful starting points that you can do on your own. Now, I know some of you prefer a guided audio experience where you can just press play and follow along without thinking about counting. For those of you looking for that simplicity, there is an excellent program called 'The Blood Pressure Program' by Christian Goodman. It features a core 9-minute mind-body exercise that requires nothing to learn or master—you just listen and follow the audio cues. It's specifically designed for people with high blood pressure and is a great option if you want a complete, guided system. I've left a link for you to see the program details right at the top of the video description below.
Like any new skill, this takes practice. For these exercises, the key is consistency. Aim for just 10 to 15 minutes every day. If that feels like too much at first, start with just 3 to 5 minutes and gradually build up your time.
Think of it like taking a daily vitamin for your blood pressure. You won’t see a dramatic change overnight, but research suggests that with steady practice over a few weeks, you can make a real, measurable difference in your numbers.
Now, let's talk about safety. This is very important.
When you’re first starting, please do these exercises while sitting down in a comfortable chair. Some people can feel a bit lightheaded at first, and sitting will ensure you are safe.
For the 4-7-8 exercise that involves holding your breath, it’s important to be cautious. If you have a chronic lung condition like COPD or asthma, that long breath-hold might be uncomfortable for you. In that case, just stick with the Equal Breathing exercise.
Finally, listen to your body. If at any point during these exercises you feel chest pain, severe shortness of breath, or dizziness that doesn’t go away, stop immediately and seek medical attention.
This is the most important message of the entire video: these breathing exercises are a powerful tool, but they are meant to be used alongside—not as a replacement for—your prescribed medications or other lifestyle changes like a healthy diet and exercise. The greatest benefit comes when you integrate everything together.
I have a patient who started doing 10 minutes of Equal Breathing every morning. She also focused on her DASH diet, continued her daily walk, and kept taking her medication. Over three months, her doctor was so impressed with her consistent lower readings that they were able to safely reduce her medication dosage. That is the goal: a holistic approach in partnership with your doctor.
So there you have it: two simple, powerful breathing exercises—Equal Breathing and the 4-7-8 breath—that you can master in minutes to take an active role in managing your blood pressure. You have this tool with you always. Use it!
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Stay healthy, and I'll see you in the next video.