Brain Health is a unique series focused on how to help you age well. These stories have been created in cooperation with AARP and Word In Black.
As you read this sentence, your brain is processing billions of nerve signals working together to transmit visual information. The brain facilitates miraculous acts, such as identifying patterns, vocalizing melodies, and pouring coffee.
The brain also supports one of the most essential functions that we perform throughout the day, usually without thought: Breathing.
Inhale deeply. Now, exhale. Try, once more. This process happens because the diaphragm and the lungs are connected with a complex network of nerve cells. Just how deeply and slowly you breathe can inform your overall brain health.
That’s partly thanks to the vagus nerve, a key component of the parasympathetic nervous system, which some call the ‘rest and digest system.’ When stimulated, the nerve increases relaxation. Laughter activates it. So does humming and deep meditation.
Purposeful breathing techniques have been proven to improve cognition. A 2017 study found that alternate nostril breathing – holding one nostril down while inhaling through the other, and vice versa – can increase alertness and motor learning. A more recent study in people 65 and older found benefits for cognitive function among people taught deep, slow breathing.
A 2022 study that looked at cognitive functions for adults in recovery and rehabilitation from strokes concluded, “[b]reathing exercises restore the normal state of the autonomic system by regulating the movement of the respiratory system.” In other words, taking simple breaths maintains the nerve cells that regulate blood pressure, heart rate, and respiration.
Respiratory rates vary, but a person on average takes between 10 and 20 breaths per minute. Some techniques for slowing down respiration include abdominal breathing and vocalized breathing (emitting long, repetitive sounds with an open or closed mouth).
According to the AARP Global Council on Brain Health, simple aerobic exercise can also improve breathing, boost mood, and enhance sleep.
“You wind up with new neurons in an area of the brain that supports memory. It’s called the hippocampus,” says Art Kramer, a member of the GCBH and director of the Center for Cognitive & Brain Health at Northeastern University. “We see additional brain blood flow, which is always a good thing so that the brain works more efficiently; [it] increases the connections between neurons.”
Walking, cycling, swimming, golf, tennis, and martial arts are other ways to bring controlled breathing into daily routines. Being purposeful means adjusting your respiratory rates based on intensity level (the degree of effort required to complete an activity).
“There have been a number of panels — both in the United States and internationally – that suggest for individuals over 50, about 150 minutes a week of moderate to vigorous exercise” is effective, Kramer says. “The truth is, most people, most Americans and most citizens of the world don’t get that amount of exercise, so anything you can do – any way to increase your physical activity – is a plus.”
No matter your present condition, taking purposeful breaths, in and out for a few minutes, can support your brain.
Find more information from AARP about brain health, click here.