The best breathing exercises for heart health

Heart health is essential for good overall health. While there are many ways to improve cardiovascular health, such as eating healthy and exercising, there's something even simpler you can do any time — breathe.

The average healthy adult takes about 12-20 breaths per minute. This number can vary depending on genetic factors, overall health and age and whether someone is experiencing anxiety or stress.

By incorporating a mindful breathing exercise for heart health into your daily routine, you can strengthen your most vital organ and keep it working at its best.

How does breathing affect the heart?

Breathing is something you do automatically. But when you think about and control your breathing, you can actually lower your heart rate. The same parts of the brain regulate breathing and heart rate, and the two work in sync, according to the American Heart Association. The synchronization between breathing and heart rate ensures your body has enough oxygen to work properly.

Your heart rate increases when something triggers your "fight or flight" response. You breathe faster as your body prepares itself to react to the threat. Stress hormones, such as cortisol, increase to help your body respond to the danger. However, if your body is constantly in that mode, you are at increased risk for health issues like anxiety and depression. High blood pressure (hypertension) can cause complications such as heart attack and heart disease.

Practicing different breathing techniques can slow down your heart rate and reduce your risk of developing certain health issues. Slow, deep breathing can also lower blood pressure.

Breathing exercises for heart health

Keeping your heart healthy through controlled breathing exercises is easier than you might think. Try one of these techniques to improve your heart function, calm your nerves and boost your overall well-being. Practice a few times a week to experience the benefits of controlled breathing.

4-7-8 breathing

The 4-7-8 technique is a form of pranayama — or breath regulation — often practiced in yoga classes. It's also a popular breathing technique for reducing anxiety and helping you fall asleep faster.

Here's how to do it:

• Inhale for four seconds
• Hold the breath for seven seconds
• Exhale for eight seconds, pursing your lips together and making a "whoosh" sound as you breathe out
• Repeat up to four times

Controlled breathing — especially if you're not used to it — might make you feel lightheaded at first. This is completely normal, but it's best to do this exercise when you are sitting or lying down. If you can't hold your breath for four seconds, you can do a shorter pattern and work your way up:

• Inhale for two seconds
• Hold for 3.5 seconds
• Exhale for four seconds

Diaphragmatic breathing

Diaphragmatic breathing helps you breathe more efficiently. When you breathe from your chest, the muscles between your ribs and neck raise and lower the rib cage to pull air into the lungs and push it out. This method uses less air and forces your body to work harder. The diaphragm, however, is the most efficient muscle for breathing. When you inhale, the diaphragm contracts and flattens, while your chest cavity expands. This helps pull air into the lungs. When you exhale, the diaphragm relaxes and air is forced out.

To practice diaphragmatic breathing, put your hands on your abdomen and breathe through your nose, letting your belly expand. Exhale through your mouth. Do this for five to 10 minutes throughout the day. It can take practice to switch from chest breathing to diaphragmatic breathing, but it gets easier the more you do it.

Paced breathing

Paced breathing focuses on the length of your breath — or the time it takes to inhale and exhale. It involves controlling each breath, making sure you exhale for the same amount of time, or longer, as you inhale. This technique is also known as box or square breathing since all your breaths are of equal length.

Here's how to do it:

• Inhaling for a count of four, making sure your lungs feel full but comfortable
• Holding the breath for a count of four
• Exhaling for a count of four, making sure to empty your lungs completely
• Repeat up to four times

Pursed-lip breathing

Pursed-lip breathing is where you breathe in slowly through your nose and purse your lips into a round shape, like you're getting ready to blow out a candle. Slowly breathe out through your mouth, making the exhalation longer than the inhalation. Do this for four rounds of breath or more.

Breathing better for better living

Controlled breathing exercises can promote heart rate variability (HRV), or the time between each heartbeat. Higher HRV is associated with better heart health and can also be an indicator of how well you respond to stress. Shallow breaths can be a result of breathing too fast, which can cause you to draw only small amounts of air into the lungs. Shallow breathing can make respiratory issues worse and lead to heart issues.

In addition to lowering heart rate and blood pressure and reducing the risk of certain health conditions, controlled breathing can also promote relaxation and stress relief. Although these techniques may seem simple, they require regular practice to get them right and experience their benefits — especially if you're used to breathing a certain way, such as chest breathing.

The best breathing exercise for heart health is one you feel most comfortable with, so try a few out to see which one works best for you.