Breathe or sing to boost your immune system

I have an Apple watch. The other day, it tapped me on the wrist. When I looked at the watch face, it said “Breathe.” The message came unbidden. Although I have since learned there’s an app for that, I had no idea that it existed and did nothing to make the message appear. Just as suddenly, the message stopped appearing.

At any rate, the message only appeared a couple of times a day. So it wasn’t a nuisance, but I thought it was silly and ignored it. Shortly after that I learned that a type of breathing called “controlled” breathing is beneficial in lots of ways, including reducing stress, increasing alertness, boosting your immune system, and reducing symptoms associated with anxiety, insomnia, PTSD, and depression.

Controlled breathing (also called “coherent breathing”) is easy: place your hands on your belly and slowly breathe in, expanding your belly, to the count of five. Pause, then slowly breathe out to the count of six. (We do this in my yoga class.) Practice this pattern for 10 to 20 minutes a day.

Apparently this kind of breathing sends signals to your brain that all is well. In response, your brain adjusts your parasympathetic nervous system—the system that controls unconscious processes such as heart rate and digestion as well as your body’s stress response. A number of scientific studies support the benefits of slow deep breathing. By testing people’s saliva following controlled breathing exercises researchers have found significantly lower levels of chemicals associated with inflammation and stress. Similar studies have shown that singing for an hour produces the same results.

I should probably figure out how to turn that “Breathe” app on again. Or I could join a choir.

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