If you get heart palpitations from stress or anxiety, I have good news.
Researchers have discovered you can reduce heart palpitations with a simple breathing exercise.
When you have heart palpitations, your heartbeat may feel like it’s racing, pounding, or fluttering.
Heart palpitations are usually not a sign of anything serious, but they can feel disturbing, and make you worry about your health.
But in 2 studies, a simple breathing exercise helped reduce people’s palpitations by at least 50%.
And for others it eliminated palpitations entirely.
So how did these people reduce their heart palpitations?
First let’s look at this article from the international journal of cardiology.
Effect of pranayam (yogic breathing) and shavasan (relaxation training) on the frequency of benign ventricular ectopics in two patients with palpitations
In this experiment they had two patients who both had a history of frequent palpitations.
“Both patients were able to stop their palpitations through deep breathing at 6 breaths per minute.”
And after two months of relaxation training with a trained yoga instructor. Both patients had fewer episodes of palpitations, and when they did experience palpitations, they could relieve it by breathing at 6 breaths per minute.
In another study, they found deep breathing at 6 breaths per minute reduced palpitations by at least 50% in several patients, and in one patient stopped the palpitations entirely.
How can you replicate these results for yourself?
Each of these studies had the patients breathe at 6 breaths per minute for at least one minute.
You may see better results by going for 5, 10, or 20 minutes.
Inhale for 5 seconds, Exhale for 5 seconds
To maintain this pattern of 5 second inhale, 5 second exhale, you can use this guided breathing exercise to help you breathe at the right pace.
At the top of the page is a video that uses sound and visuals to guide your breathing.
Don’t like the 5-5 pattern? Try some other patterns
You may like the breathing to be a bit slower or faster, or may get benefit from other breathing exercises like box breathing or 4-7-8
If the breathing exercise feels too fast or to slow, you may like my app Pocket Breath Coach.
Pocket Breath Coach guides your breathing with relaxing sounds and animations to help you inhale and exhale at the right pace.
We’ve included lots of different breathing patterns that have helped people relieve anxiety, but you can also customize the exercises to your liking. For example, if you find that a certain pattern is too slow or too fast, you can adjust it to suit your needs.
Download it for free: https://www.PocketBreathCoach.com
References:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30697682/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17004338/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16325942
https://www.scielo.br/j/jbpneu/a/NBZcwpX45rBKS5gDbHFLNXr/?lang=en
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