Five-minute breathing exercise can lower blood pressure

(Kristin Houser/ Big Think) — When done for five minutes a day, a simple breathing exercise called IMST can lower high blood pressure as effectively as medication or aerobic exercise, according to a CU Boulder study.

“It’s easy to do, it doesn’t take long, and we think it has a lot of potential to help a lot of people,” lead author Daniel Craighead said in a press release.

The challenge: Nearly two-thirds of Americans over the age of 50 have high blood pressure, which raises their risk of strokes, heart attacks, and other health issues. (…)