Perfect Breathing

It is very gratifying to watch science and medical research slowly but surely validate the seemingly outlandish claims that have been made for thousands of years about the powers of the breath and conscious, intentional breathing.

The last few weeks have seen a few more important advances. The first, which we blogged about recently, was further validation of improved immune response through the use of breath-based mindfulness techniques. The latest is further evidence of the connection between stress management and aging.

Ponce De Leon never found the mythical Fountain of Youth, but science, in its own plodding, methodical, way is still looking. In our book “Perfect Breathing: Transform Your Life One Breath at a Time” we related a then cutting-edge study by Dr. Elissa Epel (University of California, S.F.) that demonstrated a link between chronic stress and premature aging.
Most cells in the body are constantly dividing. This enables them to repair themselves, keep the body healthy and counteract the effects of disease. Cells cannot divide indefinitely, and their ability to divide is governed by telomers, which are the caps on the ends of chromosomes. Each time a cell divides, the telomere shortens. When the telomere reaches a certain point, the cell stops dividing and dies. If you ever wondered why you are losing your hearing and eyesight (among other things), blame your telomers. They directly control the aging process and are associated with premature death from cardiovascular disease and infections.

Dr. Epel’s study found that there was a direct link between high levels of stress and the length of telomeres. They also found a link between stress and a substance in the blood called telomerase that controls and slows the rate of aging. The study was conducted with women who were caregivers for children who had serious or chronic illnesses. The caregivers ranged in age from 20 to 50 and were compared with women who had healthy children. They found that the caregivers with the highest stress levels had telomers that had aged an additional ten years. This is why, according to Dr. Epel, “People who are stressed over long periods tend to look haggard and it is commonly thought that psychological stress leads to premature aging and the earlier onset of diseases of aging.”

The latest studies (also from Dr. Epel and others), shows that the effect of chronic stress on the aging process is virtually eliminated through regular, vigorous exercise. But it gets even better. Dr. Dean Ornish has demonstrated in a pilot study, that telomerase – the enzyme that preserves telomer length and healthy cell function – can actually be increased by healthy lifestyle changes. Specifically, through exercise, proper diet, and stress management regimens such as deep breathing and meditation.

Harvard’s Dr. Herbert Benson, author of the perennial classic “The Relaxation Response” and this year’s latest “Relaxation Revolution”, maintains that there is a wealth of solid research now that indicates that the aging process can be slowed by lifestyle changes including regular exercise (aerobic and strength training), reducing obesity, not smoking, and stress management (mindfulness and mind/body techniques such as conscious breathing, meditation, yoga, etc).

The key thread here is regular exercise and stress management. These two things alone will take you a long way toward maximizing your health and longevity. Think Jack Lalanne. For those of you who don’t do well with delayed gratification, there are myriad benefits to your health, wellbeing, and quality of life that you’d receive right away from creating these powerful health rituals in your life.

We are all getting older day by day, and no one is going to live forever (even Jack Lalanne finally threw in the ol’ sweatband this year at 96). The are many variables that are out of our control – you never know if there is a lightning bolt out there with your name on it – but healthy lifestyle changes are things you can control that have a direct and measurable effect on how fast you age and how well you age!