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In past Wellness Pathways, I have written about the importance of exercise and
have passed along the recommendation that healthy people need to walk, jog, or
run about 10,000 steps a day Click.
Wearing an inexpensive pedometer throughout the day can help you keep track of and
increase your steps over time.
But exercise is not the only key to health and wellness. It's also important to
rest and recover in order to manage and minimize the stress of everyday life.
Although a good night's sleep remains our principal recovery tool, slow, rhythmic
breathing is an equally important habit.
A recent study published in the Journal of Clinical Hypertension found that
slowing your breath rate down to the therapeutic level of 10 breaths per minute,
or less, for at least 15 minutes a day and at least four days a week, reduces
systolic blood pressure (the force with which the blood is pumped out of the
heart) enough to lower or even eliminate the need for medication.
One inexpensive way to get in the habit and to keep track of the time is to set a fifteen minute timer in another
room, while you practice your breathing. Breathe slowly in and out through your
nose, to the count of 5 and 5. After you set the timer, forget about the time and
focus on your breathing.
A more expensive, high-tech way to accomplish the same thing is to use a device that
looks like a Walkman but that monitors your breathing and plays customized music to
indicate when you should breathe in and when you should breathe out. The device,
called the Resperate, is available at
www.resperate.com as well as at many online pharmacies. If you have $300 to
spare, this purchase can generate lifelong benefits.
Coaching Inquiries: Do you have high blood pressure? Do you take time each day
for regular, rhythmic breathing? What would assist you to establish and maintain
this important practice?
To reply to this Pathway, use our
Feedback Form. To learn more about our
Wellness Coaching programs and to arrange for a complimentary wellness coaching
session, use our Contact Form or
Email Bob.
May you be filled with goodness, peace, and joy.
Bob Tschannen-Moran
President, LifeTrek Coaching International,
www.LifeTrekCoaching.com
CEO & Co-Founder, Center for School Transformation,
www.SchoolTransformation.com
2010-2011 President, International Association of Coaching,
www.CertifiedCoach.org
Address: 121 Will Scarlet Lane, Williamsburg, VA 23185-5043
Phone: (757) 345-3452
Fax: (772) 382-3258
Skype: LifeTrek
Twitter: @LifeTrekBob
Mobile: www.LifeTrekMobile.com
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