Breathing for the heart

[cuore]

As afibbers, we are suggested to do breathing exercises to calm the heart. Although the link below focuses on the eyes, there is information about the heart and by extension the heart rate which is so important for us to try and control when in arrhythmia.

scientificamerican.com/arti...

[PlanetaryKim]

I have found that if I breathe slowly and deeply, just 6 breaths a minute (10 seconds for each breath - 5 secs inhale, 5 secs exhale) my heart rate drops very swiftly, in 1-2 minutes.

[cuore in reply to PlanetaryKim]

I read your exercise as being equal amount of time (10 seconds) for inhale and exhale.

Extracted from the article:

"So if you want to increase your heart rate, you inhale more than you exhale. The opposite is also true. Every time you exhale, you’re slowing down the heart rate."

The excerpt appears to be saying to exhale slower to decrease heart rate, but you are getting success with equal time. It follows then that the comparison has to be made with the time period before the breathing exercise. So, in your above example, if your exhale count would be 10 seconds, would your heart rate drop even faster?

I find it also interesting that the diaphragm plays this important role in heart rate:

"But you can control your diaphragm, which means you control your breathing, which means you control your heart rate..."

Now I am really going to be conscious of my diaphragm when my heart rate goes up and make sure to push slowly when the diaphragm goes down. Hope I got that right.

[PlanetaryKim in reply to cuore]

Interesting observation about making exhale take longer than inhale. I know if it gets too complicated I will not do it. So I just lie on my bed (if I am at home) and breath very slowly and continuously with equal length inhale and exhale. I can drop my heart rate from 100 bpm to 70 bpm easily in 2 minutes. And pretty reliably. I suppose it also depends on why the heart rate is high. If mine is high because of low-grade stress that I am not even aware of, then that kind of breathing is a pretty rapid stress reducer.

[LaceyLady in reply to cuore]

When I was training to be a Complementary Therapist, Reflexologist, I had to learn the Anatomy & Physiology of the body, we learnt the breathing mechanism’, you should breathe in through the nose, slowly engaging the diaphragm which raises the stomach and descends into the abdomen, the ribs expand outwards this allowing the lungs to fully descend and inflate. We all only breathe from the top portions of our lungs, if we breathed properly, we would get the most oxygen into our blood better. Some years ago I had a fall on top of a stool onto my stomach and ribs I Didn’t realise that I had 2 displaced ribs preventing me breathing properly till I saw an osteopath many years later, who sorted them, I fell light headed afterwards!

[David1958 in reply to cuore]

In the inhale, the diaphragm is expanding the chest and with the exhale you are controlling the contraction to normal size. I also do slow breathing to calm the heart. It will also do wonders for the BP too. I read the book by James Nestor, "Breathe, The Science Behind a Lost Art". It made a believer out of me.

[cuore in reply to David1958]

Many have mentioned James Nestor's book. It is on my agenda to read, especially since you pointed out that it is good for blood pressure too.

Thank you for the tip. I placed my hands on my chest to follow the diaphragm expanding my chest, and tried to follow the diaphragm (via motion of the chest) for the exhale. The exercise placed things in perspective.

[Polski]

Fascinating - Just the kind of information I have been looking for. I had come to the conclusion that my breathing was probably the one aspect of 'lifestyle' that I hadn't taken seriously. Now I know that getting to grips with it should make a real differeance to my AF load. Thank you!

[roadride in reply to Polski]

There is an excellent app, simply called the Breathing App. It is simple and effective. You can vary the inhale/exhale durations. I use the 5 second inhale/ 5 second exhale and find that it slows my heart rate and lowers my BP.

[David1958 in reply to roadride]

Such a simple idea and one we can control! Hard to believe that more has not been written about this. Of course, there is no money in something as simple as breathing. But, isn't that what holistic medicine is all about? Or should be? Tools like this should be promoted for whole body well being. Who cares if nobody makes a dime off of this? The same can be said about fasting. That is whole other subject that has lots of anecdotal and religious significance, but no hard science behind its benefits and drawbacks. There was a magazine article (remember those?) I read years ago that prompted me to give it a try. I know we all struggle with lifestyle changes that are conducive to living with AF. I know that breathing in the 5 seconds in followed by the 5 seconds out is harmonious with the heart and calms it. The heart responds with the fewest skipped beats.