Inhale, breathe and don’t freak out! Experts at Stanford University in California (USA) found that deep breathing exercises can alleviate anxiety symptoms and improve mood.
The study was published in the journal Cell Reports Medicine last Tuesday (10/1). For a month, researchers followed 108 people, who were instructed to practice breathing exercises daily.
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Thirty of the volunteers did the cyclic breathing exercise, which consists of inhaling slowly before another shorter breath, to inflate the lungs completely, exhaling as much as possible afterwards. Already 21 participants practiced box breathing. That is, they inhaled air, held the breath, exhaled and held for a period of time before starting the process again.
Another 33 people were instructed to practice cyclic hyperventilation, which consists of taking deep breaths followed by shorter exhalations several times before exhaling completely. Finally, the remaining 24 participants practiced daily meditation sessions, also for five minutes.
After the test period, the researchers noted that all participants noticed an improvement in mood and respiratory rate. However, breathing techniques outperformed meditation—cyclic breathing was at the top of the list.
According to the scientists, intentional control over breathing with specific breathing patterns produces more benefits for mood than passive attention to breathing, as occurs in the practice of meditation.
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