For something that can slowly wreck your heart, blood pressure is surprisingly easy to ignore—that is, until your doctor starts flagging numbers that have crept up on each successive visit. Around half of all men in the U.S. have high blood pressure, so if you’re reading this, there’s a decent chance you’re among them. And you likely already know that elevated numbers increase your risk of heart attack and stroke. But before you spiral thinking that your fate is sealed, you should take a deep breath. Literally.

Deep breathing exercises can lower your blood pressure, both in the moment and over time. They work by decreasing the activity of the sympathetic nervous system, a.k.a. the fight-or-flight response. “An overactive sympathetic nervous system is a primary contributor to high blood pressure, and breathing exercises help relax and lower that,” says Daniel Craighead, PhD, assistant professor of kinesiology at the University of Minnesota whose research focuses on cardiovascular function. Slower, deeper breaths also help lower your heart rate and relax blood vessels, thus helping to regulate blood pressure, adds Sunny Sharma, MD, FACP, DipACLM, a board-certified lifestyle medicine physician and the regional medical officer at the Ascension Medical Group of Illinois. The research backs this up: A 2023 meta-analysis of 15 studies notes that breathing exercises have a “modest but significant” effect on decreasing both systolic and diastolic blood pressure.

Ahead, see which ones experts recommend most to lower your numbers. Plus: how much they’ll actually move the needle.

1. Diaphragmatic breathing

Diaphragmatic breathing, aka belly breathing, is one of the most effective breathing techniques to lower blood pressure. The goal is to breathe deeply and slowly from the diaphragm rather than taking shallow breaths from your chest, says Abid Husain, MD, a triple board-certified cardiologist, integrative medicine physician, and head of heart health for Hone Health.

To start, inhale through the nose for four to five seconds, allowing the belly to rise. Then exhale slowly and fully for six to eight seconds. “The exhale is especially important because a longer exhalation tends to promote relaxation and vagal activation,” says Dr. Husain. (ICYMI, the vagus nerve is involved in helping you relax and tap into your parasympathetic nervous system, bringing you into your so-called rest-and-digest phase.)

In one study of patients with stage 2 hypertension (blood pressure levels above 140/90 mmHg), participants who practiced abdominal deep breathing for seven days significantly reduced both systolic and diastolic blood pressure compared to a control group.

2. 4-7-8 breathing

While Sharma says diaphragmatic breathing is often the best starting point to lower blood pressure, he’s also a fan of 4-7-8 breathing. It involves inhaling through your nose for four seconds, holding your breath for seven seconds, and exhaling through your mouth for eight seconds. Repeat the cycle three to six times. “Some people find the structure helpful because it encourages slower breathing patterns and mindfulness,” he says.

In one small study of young, healthy adults, participants who practiced 4-7-8 breathing saw reductions in both heart rate and systolic blood pressure, even if they were sleep deprived.

3. Slow-paced breathing

Drs. Sharma and Husain cite slow-paced breathing as a go-to. One route involves aiming for five to six breaths per minute. Take even inhales and exhales to a count of five each, or breathe in for four counts and exhale for six. The breath count may sound painfully slow, “but it’s a range that appears to support autonomic balance and heart rate variability,” says Dr. Husain.