Your Heart Rate, Your Circulation, and Your BreathUpdated 3 months ago

Blood circulation is a fundamental part of your body’s overall health and resilience. Your heart pumps blood through your circulatory system, where it delivers oxygen and vital nutrients to your muscles, organs, and extremities, and promotes healthy cell growth. Even your skin benefits from increased circulation, making it more resistant to external bacteria and infections. 

The way we breathe has a significant effect on our circulatory system and our heart. When we breathe through our nose, we’re able to fully increase our lung volumes and stimulate the alveoli, where oxygen is absorbed at the end of the bronchial tubes. In short, this means oxygen can be absorbed more efficiently, helping to keep our circulatory system robust and healthy. Breathing through our mouth, on the other hand, can trigger hyperventilation, constricting the blood vessels, stressing the heart, and lowering the body’s levels of available oxygen.

Read the study at the link below:

Swift, Campbell, McKown 1988 Oronasal obstruction, lung volumes, and arterial oxygenation. Lancet 1, 73-75