What if the research indicated there was an inexpensive breathing exercise device that, if utilized about 5 minutes/day, could significantly reduce blood pressure and improve exercise performance? Resisted breathing – or what the science refers to as “inspiratory muscle strength training” – or IMST - isn’t new. I remember reading about it, but at the time it appeared to be all fluff as our intercostal breathing muscles were almost never utilized at capacity, so who cares if we strengthen them? Fast forward a decade or so and it turns out we might all care. Whether you or a loved one has high blood pressure and would like to access options beyond just medications, or you’re a runner, triathlete, swimmer or cyclist looking to optimize your performance – IMST may be worth a closer look. Today we’ll take that closer look with Dr. Daniel Craighead, who’s groundbreaking work in this area is both fascinating and eye-opening.

Dr. Craighead is a leading exercise physiologist and cardiovascular health researcher at the University of Minnesota, where he focuses on innovative, time-efficient interventions to combat age-related declines in cardiovascular and metabolic health. His research on high-resistance inspiratory muscle strength training has shown that just five minutes a day of targeted breathing exercise can significantly lower blood pressure, enhance vascular function, and improve exercise tolerance — all without traditional aerobic training. Today, he joins The Coaching Lab to unpack how this simple, science-backed technique is reshaping approaches to both peak performance and everyday health.

The Powerbreathe unit Dr. Cooper has been using available here.

You can stay up to date on Dr. Craighead's latest research via his lab website and if you'd like to tune into another interview he provided for NPR, it is available here.

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Influence of Resisted Breathing on Blood Pressure, VO2 Max and More! (Daniel Craighead, PhD)

The Coaching Lab: Evidence-Based High Performance & Wellbeing