The immediate effect of incorporating short-term slow abdominal respiration into an exercise program on balance and the autonomic nervous system

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the possible effects of incorporating short-term slow-abdominal respiration (SAR) into an exercise program, on balance and the cardiac-related autonomic nervous system (ANS). Design: Cross-over repeated measures design. Methods: Fifteen young and healthy adults were randomly assigned into two groups (7 in the C-R group, 8 in the R-C group), each of which carried out both control sequence (C) and respiration-experiment sequence (R) in the inverse order. In the C sequence, the subjects performed passive exercises and a general exercise program (P-GEP). In the R sequence, the subjects received a short-term SAR training session and then performed the respiration incorporated general exercises program (R-RGEP). Before and after both C and R sequences, the length and the area of the displacement of the center of pressure (COP) and heart rate variability parameters were measured. Results: The total length of the COP displacement in the left single-leg-standing condition showed a significantly greater reduction after R-RGEP in the respiration-experiment sequence than after the P-GEP in the control sequence (p<0.05). The mean heart rate was significantly reduced only after R-RGEP in the respiration-experiment sequence (p<0.05) Conclusions: The slow-abdominal-respiration, trained in a simple manner and integrated into the exercise program in a single session, showed partially positive immediate effects on balance stabilization. The decrease in heart rate indicated possible involvement of the parasympathetic ANS activation in the stability, although it is not enough to decide whether it is purely due to the controlled respiration.

Effect of short-term practice of breathing exercises on the breathing capacity in school-age girls (Efecto de la práctica a corto plazo de ejercicios respiratorios sobre la capacidad respiratoria en niñas en edad escolar)

“…Authors such as Vinay (2017), Yamaguti et al (2012) and Pal (2004) present significant results in the application of short-term programs or training. Han (2019) mentions in his studies that a shortterm breathing training intervention can lead to an improvement in body posture, which can promote a decrease in heart rate, which in turn can be responsible for improvements in the parasympathetic system (ANS). Petrofsky (2016) presented positive results in terms of physical and breathing capacity in his study where he verified the influence of a short-term BEP (8 minutes) for six weeks.…”

The Effect of Diaphragm Muscle Strengthening Exercise Using Incentive Spirometry on Body Balance

“…It is also known that diaphragmatic breathing in a simple way, namely Slow Abdominal Respiration (SAR), which is integrated into the exercise program, shows a good effect on balance, with a statistical test value showing p = 0.049. Diaphragmatic breathing exercises activate core muscles including the transversus abdominis and pelvic floor muscles, which contribute to stabilization of the lumbar posture thereby improving body balance (Han et al, 2019). Contraction of the diaphragm will increase the stability of the trunk by reducing pressure…”