Breathe for a healthier body

Yes, exercise is healthy. But adjusting your lifestyle – especially in old age – is simply difficult. It turns out that your breath may be able to help you.

A 2016 study found that 30% of adults over the age of 50 in the United States do not actively exercise. Although most people know that exercise reduces the risk of contracting chronic diseases. A new study has found that five minutes of breathing exercises a day can ease the transition to a more active lifestyle.

Half of the subjects used a special device during the breathing exercises, which made breathing a little more difficult. The other half did breathing exercises without a device. All subjects were tested for endurance before and after the six-week experiment. After six weeks, the group that trained with the device showed a 12% improvement. No improvement was seen in the group that did the breathing exercises without a device.

The researchers also found positive changes in their metabolism in the group whose condition improved. Of course it is important to know if it is a method accessible to all, you will need such a device for many people. But if so, it could just be a nice boost for people who are struggling to make the transition to a more active lifestyle.

Read more: Five minutes of daily respiratory training improves exercise tolerance in middle-aged and older adults†