By Andrew Liszewski
High blood pressure is no laughing matter. Unless of course it happens in the cartoons where the character becomes beet red and steam blasts out of their ears, then it’s hilarious. But for real people, not so funny. So if you suffer from high blood pressure the RESPeRATE is an interactive breathing device that will supposedly lower your blood pressure when used for just 15 minutes, a few times a week.
Using a breathing sensor, RESPeRATE automatically analyzes your individual breathing pattern and creates a personalized melody composed of two distinct inhale and exhale guiding tones, delivered through comfortable earphones.
Simply listen to the melody through the headphones and synchronize your breathing to the tones. By prolonging the exhalation tone RESPeRATE guides you to slow your breathing and reach the “therapeutic zone” of less than 10 breaths per minute.
The physiological result? The muscles surrounding the small blood vessels in your body dilate, and relax. Blood is allowed to flow more freely, and pressure is directly, significantly lowered.
With a price tag of $290 the RESPeRATE is probably not only a cheaper alternative to medication, but in some studies (as published in American Journal of Hypertension) it has even been found to be more effective for certain patients.
[ RESPeRATE ] VIA [ The Red Ferret Journal ]
I can vouch for deep breathing as a way to lower blood pressure–but I did it with a $30 book, not a $290 device. A few years ago I had gained about 30 pounds due to medication issues, bad eating habits and lack of exercise. When I finally started exercising again, it was using a few deep breathing methods and stretching exercises from a book called “Combat Abs.” Within three months, I not only lost the weight, but my blood pressure dropped from 140/90 to 110/80. (Granted, I also started eating healthier.) At the risk of being accused of shilling for the book I used, I’ll include the link: http://www.combatabs.com