How the way we breathe can affect our Health

The Coronavirus pandemic has caused everyone to consider the very act of breathing much more.  Breathing is something that people usually take for granted, it is ‘automatic’, and yet the quality of our breathing has a very big impact on our overall health and wellbeing, and in building our resilience.

Here at Preidlhof, guests can undertake a Heart Rate Variability (HRV) assessment to measure the quality of their breathing; it helps guests to visualise and to scientifically quantify their body’s ability to regenerate, their quality of sleep and to evaluate the energy levels of individual organs in the body.  These findings enable us to determine when it is appropriate to prescribe more rest and relaxation, or indeed increase our movement, or play more sport.  Through these in-depth measurements of body composition, guests can discover their biological age and it enables both me and my colleagues in the medical team and the team of spa therapists to really customize each programme and monitor the effects of lifestyle. 

What always surprises guests most is how the depth of their breath can alter their HRV measurements.  They can really see a meaningful difference on the screen by slowing down and breathing more deeply.  Many people breathe in quite a shallow way a lot of the time, and even more so when they are stressed or anxious.  Breathing is, however, our body's chief cleansing tool: oxygen fuels our cells and helps our bodies regenerate. 

All our therapists teach the importance and benefits of taking a slower breath. Even just practising this for five minutes a day can be transformative to one’s overall health. 

As a guideline, it is helpful if the outgoing breath is equal to the ingoing breath.  Count to 5 whilst breathing in and then count to 5 again as you slowly exhale. You can practice the deeper and slower breathing when you first wake up, or just before going to sleep, or perhaps just before you are about to undertake a big challenge or event.

About the Author

Dr Alexander Angerer M.D. has many years’ experience in prevention, diagnostics and complementary medicine. The HRV programme combines a series of tests and evaluations to picture your health today and plan for the future.