Breathing exercises for vegetative-vascular dystonia (VSD)

The autonomic nervous system is responsible for the normal functioning of internal organs: heart, blood vessels, gastrointestinal tract, respiratory system. Therefore, when its functioning is disrupted, a wide variety of manifestations can occur, including panic attacks, a feeling of lack of air, and pain in the heart. Breathing exercises for vegetative-vascular dystonia (VSD) will help normalize disturbed processes and improve well-being.

Why is breathing exercise useful for VSD?

Autonomic vascular dystonia is a functional disorder in which the structure of the organ does not suffer, but only the regulation of its work is disrupted. This condition is provoked by stress, mental stress, increased physical or emotional stress.

Translated from Latin, “vegeto” means excitement. During attacks of VSD, “vascular excitation” occurs: blood pressure rises and falls, a feeling of lack of air appears, the heartbeat quickens, and dizziness occurs. Various fears (panic attacks) are also characteristic, ranging from the fear of death to the fear of speaking (also known as glossophobia).

It is during such attacks that breathing exercises are of great importance. It allows you to find the correct breathing rhythm so that the blood is saturated with oxygen, the feeling of shortness of breath disappears, and the heart begins to beat more slowly. Also, respiratory exercises help to distract from worries and fears - and the attack gradually passes.

Why do you need breathing exercises?

Performing a set of breathing exercises for VSD is necessary to solve several problems:

• Stabilization of heart function;
• Restoring the rhythm of breathing;
• Suppressing anxiety and fear;
• Normalization of blood pressure;
• Blood oxygen saturation;
• Stopping dizziness;
• Increasing the tone and endurance of the body.

Classes do not have to be carried out only during a panic attack. During the interictal period, they have a preventive value and make the nervous system more resistant to stress.

Pool

Swimming as part of a health complex for VSD

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Swimming is one of the best means of healing the body and treating the nervous system. It forces a large number of muscles to work. The chest, back, legs, arms, stomach, and shoulder girdle work in this process. Such exercises increase endurance and strength.

The pool gives you the opportunity to communicate with the water element at any time of the year. Most people associate the surface of water with the most pleasant childhood memories. The sea, river, pond, summer vacation, beautiful water landscapes come to mind.

Benefits of visiting the pool

Swimming in the pool has a comprehensive effect on the body. The load is placed on many muscle groups, the respiratory and cardiovascular systems.

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Respiratory system

Swimming strengthens the respiratory muscles and tones them. Breathing is coordinated with the movements of the whole body, especially the arms and legs. Each cycle of arm swings corresponds to one inhalation or exhalation. With a large expenditure of energy, the need for oxygen increases, so each breath must be used to the maximum. Such breathing develops muscles, expanding the diaphragm, which leads to an increase in lung volume and improved functionality of the respiratory system.

The cardiovascular system

People who frequently visit the pool, regardless of swimming style, increase the strength of the heart muscle and heart power. Heart rate and blood pressure return to normal. Simply being in water can improve your blood composition. After two hours of swimming in the pool, the number of red blood cells, hemoglobin, and leukocytes increases.

Nervous system

Swimming has a beneficial effect on the nervous system. It tones it, balances the processes of inhibition and excitation, improves brain function. Swimming relieves fatigue, irritation, helps with stress, improves mood and sleep. Regular exercise can improve willpower and discipline, which helps you withstand stressful situations and get through difficult times more easily.

The effect of swimming on the treatment of VSD

Regular visits to the pool help develop such important character traits as perseverance, determination, courage, determination, and self-control. They help a person resist his illness and endure the increased pace of life and change.

The regulation of breathing and massage of the whole body that a person receives while swimming allows him to feel lightness and feel weightless. This significantly reduces tension and charges you with positivity. In the pool you can not only practice swimming, this place is perfect for a pleasant pastime. A visit to the pool will help you avoid loneliness and make friends.

Combining health benefits and pleasure, swimming in the pool is an excellent cure for VSD, which, in combination with other remedies, will definitely lead to healing and an improved quality of life.

Breathing exercises

In everyday life, we rarely pay attention to how we breathe. But proper breathing is a whole science that requires special study and long-term training. In order for breathing movements to become as effective as possible, it is necessary to master the techniques of diaphragmatic, abdominal, thoracic, deep and shallow breathing.

Breathing and vegetative-vascular dystonia

The appearance of shortness of breath during an attack of VSD is not a sign of a disease of the respiratory system, but only an inadequate reaction of the nervous system to a mental stimulus. Nevertheless, for the patient this condition is extremely unpleasant: he develops a feeling of inadequacy of inhalation and a fear of death.

Note!

If the attack is truly caused by VSD, and all examinations of the heart and lungs do not reveal pathology, then a person has no real risk of dying during a panic attack. Loss of consciousness may occur due to fluctuations in blood pressure or vasospasm. But the mechanisms of breathing regulation work automatically in the body, so it is impossible to suffocate in such a situation.

The most important thing that a patient with VSD must learn is to calm down on his own. And measured breathing helps him with this. It distracts from groundless worries and fears, saturates the blood with a large amount of oxygen, sufficient for the feeling of lack of air to pass.

Basics of proper breathing

Before you start practicing, you need to learn the basic principles of proper breathing:

1. You should start breathing exercises with a small number of repetitions (about three), gradually increasing them (up to 8-10).
2. It is advisable to exercise three times a day before meals.
3. If the exercise involves physical activity, then you need to move smoothly, without jerking movements.
4. Full concentration on your own feelings is important. Make sure you are not distracted by external stimuli.

Important!

If during class you feel dizzy, light-headed, or have darkness in your eyes, then the workout should be suspended until you feel normal, and then slow down a little.

Tips for proper breathing

1. Breathing movements should be measured and rhythmic.
2. Most gymnastic elements involve inhaling through the nose - this way the air is better purified and warmed. Exhalation can be done both through the nose and through the mouth.
3. When breathing, try to use not only your chest, but also your stomach. First, air fills the upper and middle parts of the lungs, expanding the ribs, and then enters the lower sections, the diaphragm lowers, and the abdominal wall protrudes.
4. All bending, relaxing, squatting, lowering the arms are accompanied by exhalation, straightening, raising the limbs - by inhaling.

Basic exercises

We list the basic exercises that you need to master first:

1. We breathe rhythmically, at a comfortable pace. Then we inhale alternately with the right and then with the left half of the nose, blocking the second. We exhale through our mouth.
2. As you inhale, inflate your stomach, and as you exhale, draw it in. For convenience, you can put one palm on your chest, the other on your abs, and thus control their movements.
3. Now we breathe only through the chest, without using the stomach in any way.

Physical therapy classes.

A very good option for people with problems with the functioning of the vegetative-vascular system would be exercise therapy. A set of such exercises has long been developed and widely used. Patients with this problem can go to a rehabilitation center through their attending physician and, under the supervision of specialists, undergo a full course of physical therapy. But patients with VSD often face an insurmountable obstacle. Due to an imbalance in psychological balance, such people cannot overcome their anxiety and come to the gym for a group lesson. In such cases, or if for some other reason it is not possible to attend exercise therapy classes, then it is quite possible to perform these exercises at home.

We perform exercise therapy at home

If a decision has been made to exercise at home, a person with VSD problems must adhere to the following rules:

• all physical exercises for VSD should not overexert the person too much;
• the amplitude of all movements should be small;
• it is necessary to strictly avoid sudden movements and deep bends;
• with high blood pressure, exercises are performed sitting or lying down;
• the room should be very well ventilated.

Exercise therapy complex

All exercises for vegetative-vascular dystonia should be performed daily, doing 5–8 repetitions. You can study at any convenient time.

1. Stand straight with your feet shoulder-width apart. Hands down. As you inhale, raise one arm in front of you and move the other back. As you exhale, lower your arms. Next, we perform the exercise, alternating hands.
2. We stretch both hands in front of us, clenching them into fists. We perform arm swings, raising one arm and lowering the other. Hands also alternate. We perform the exercise as intensively as possible. After finishing the exercise, you need to lower your hands and shake them.
3. We take the starting position - stand straight, place our palms on our shoulders and begin to slowly make movements in a circle.
4. Standing straight, raise one leg, bent at the knee, and rotate the foot. We change legs.
5. Standing straight, hands on your belt, raise your bent leg and try to straighten it parallel to the floor. We repeat the movement on the other leg.
6. One hand is on the belt, and we raise the other in front of us. Draw a full circle with an outstretched hand. We change hands and repeat the movement.
7. We fold the rivers with our palms facing each other, holding them in front of us, and press with all our strength. After 15 seconds, we lower our hands. We perform several repetitions.
8. We make very slow turns of the head from left to right, and then change direction.
9. Feet wider than shoulders, and hands on the belt. We perform slow and smooth turns of the body to the right and then to the left.

When performing the exercises, remember that there are a number of cautions:

• do not make sudden movements;
• it is dangerous to lower your head below your hips;
• It is undesirable to work with weight;
• Do not suddenly change your body position.

Watch your breathing

One of the most common manifestations of VSD is a feeling of lack of air, so it is very important, when starting exercise, to monitor the correctness of your breathing. During exercise, the blood is more intensely saturated with oxygen, which can significantly increase the effectiveness of training. There are generally accepted breathing rules, try to adhere to them:

There are generally accepted breathing rules, try to adhere to them:

• when breathing, you should use the muscles of the chest, abdomen and diaphragm;
• breathing should be even and deep;
• During exercise therapy, we inhale through the nose and exhale through the mouth.

For people who too often feel short of breath, it will be useful, in addition to physical training, to regularly resort to breathing exercises.

To do this, you can use the following breathing exercises for VSD:

1. We inhale through one nostril, after pressing the second one with a finger. The inhalation should be smooth, in three equal-spaced bursts. We exhale through the mouth. Repeat the exercise 10 times for each nostril.
2. Press your chest with your hands to control its immobility. We inhale through the nose, sticking out the stomach. Exhale sharply and draw in your stomach as much as possible.
3. We repeat the exercise described above, but we breathe, using the chest, and exclude the stomach from the breathing process.
4. Inhale through the nose, perform it like a wave. First, we recruit the full chest, then the diaphragm, and then we engage the stomach. We exhale in the reverse order - we pull in the stomach, weaken the diaphragm, and exhale everything from the chest.

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Another important rule when performing breathing exercises should be the mandatory ventilation of the room before and during exercise. The ideal option in this case is outdoor activities.

Breathing exercises

The breathing exercises proposed by different authors are quite heterogeneous. We have selected the most effective ones. Some are designed to relieve panic attacks, while others are suitable for daily use.

Exercise by Dr. Kurpatov

Dr. Kurpatov points out that the feeling of fear is formed during the pause between inhalation and exhalation. Accordingly, first of all, this pause needs to be shortened. He proposed his own exercise to regulate breathing during a panic attack with vegetative-vascular dystonia.

First, we sequentially inhale air, hold our breath and exhale. Each stage should last 5 seconds. The inhalation retains this duration, but the pause gradually shortens, “giving” its seconds to the exhalation. That is, in the next respiratory cycle, inhalation lasts 5 seconds, pause – 4 seconds, exhalation – 6 seconds, then: inhalation – 5 seconds, pause – 3 seconds, exhalation – 7 seconds. etc. As a result, there is no pause at all between inhalation and exhalation, and exhalation is extended to 10 seconds.

Sound exercise

A slow, deep breath is taken for seven seconds, then the air is released through the mouth with a drawn-out sound “eeee”, “aaa”, “oooh”. You can also draw out the consonant sounds “shshsh”, “xxx”, “mmm”. They are more effective for training the lungs.

If you do the exercise during an attack, you may not be able to speak clearly. If instead of clear sounds you get sobs and sobs, do not try to suppress them. They help relax the diaphragm and relieve muscle block.

Static classes

These are exercises that only involve breathing in a certain rhythm. The body and limbs are in an arbitrary relaxed state: lying down, sitting on the floor or on a chair.

Exercise "Steps"

First, completely exhale the air from your lungs. Then inhale it in small portions, pausing for two seconds after each short inhalation. Now also exhale gradually. As you exhale, you can make a short “hmm” sound. This exercise is perfect during the interictal period to activate the body if you are worried about lethargy, general weakness, and apathy.

Exercise "Flower"

Imagine that you want to smell a fragrant flower and inhale deeply through your nose. Exhale freely. You can gradually speed up the pace, but do not overdo it: with frequent deep breathing there is a risk of developing hyperventilation and dizziness.

What is breathing

The breathing process provides the entire body, including the cells of the nervous system, with oxygen, carbon dioxide and vital energy.

Pay attention to your breathing

A person must be rational in eating, and he must treat breathing in the same way. Moreover, the body needs carbon dioxide just as much as oxygen. But both must be in a certain quantity. How does a tired person breathe? Hard, loud, often. He thinks about problems without paying attention to breathing

And it is one of the reasons for weakness and poor health

If you feel unwell, pay attention to how you breathe. If you notice excessively intense breathing, try stopping it for a second.

Don't worry about suffocating when you stop. This is a wrong idea. Then take a smooth, long breath and exhale the same way. When you calm your breathing, you will feel better. Regular breathing exercises and exercise therapy will help you get rid of vegetative-vascular dystonia.

How do all people breathe?

Breathing and psyche depend on each other. The following examples illustrate this:

• When a person is calm, breathing is barely noticeable.
• During an attack of VSD, breathing changes. It becomes frequent and intermittent.
• At times of stress, a person can swallow a large volume of air, creating the effect of hyperventilation. This causes overexcitation of the respiratory center and a decrease in the level of carbon dioxide in the blood. The blood vessels narrow, especially in the brain. Blood pressure increases. Heart pain and dizziness appear.
• After crying it becomes easier. Why? Breathing consists of sobs, i.e. short breaths. Due to this, the content of carbon dioxide and oxygen in the blood increases. Well-being improves, brain processes stabilize, excess tension in blood vessels and all muscles is relieved.
• Laughter produces a similar result. But instead of short breaths, there is a stream of exhalations. This is the basis for the Stepping exercise described below.

A reflexive way to relax before vacation

Yawning is a natural mechanism for relaxation before sleep. You take not so much a deep breath as a long breath and the same exhalation. This principle is used in the full breathing of yogis, described in our article Folk remedies for the treatment of VSD.

During yawning, the proportion of carbon dioxide in the blood increases. Therefore, the functioning of the nervous system is stabilized and excess muscle tension is relieved. This occurs against the background of a decrease in oxygen content in the body, which causes a pleasant feeling of half-asleep in the brain.

What should breathing be like?

The recommendations in this article are based on the yogic breathing technique - pranayama. Methodological developments for exercise therapy by European and American doctors are taken into account. Why was this source chosen? Look at yogis - they are always balanced and have excellent control of their consciousness. It is these qualities that the body lacks to get rid of vegetative-vascular dystonia.

At school they teach that the body only needs oxygen. But carbon dioxide performs a number of functions in the body:

• Participates in the synthesis of amino acids.
• Stimulates the respiratory center.
• Calms the nervous system.
• Dilates blood vessels.
• Helps stabilize motor activity.
• Affects the activity of the central nervous system (CNS).
• Contributes to metabolic processes.
• Takes care of the release of enzymes.
• Helps maintain the pH of blood and tissue cells.

By calming your breathing, you increase the proportion of carbon dioxide in the blood, which stabilizes the functioning of the central nervous system and other systems.

Deep Breathing Error

Deep breathing, according to most Europeans, is an increase in air exchange in the lungs, which is considered beneficial. In reality, hyperventilation of the lungs occurs: carbon dioxide is washed out of the body. As a result, processes in the circulatory, nervous and other systems are disrupted. Dizziness and pain in the cardiac region occur. If you want to check, try breathing for at least a minute with your entire lung capacity, using the fastest possible pace.

Harm of improper breathing during VSD

Direct symptoms of vegetative-vascular dystonia associated with respiratory failure:

• Lump in the throat.
• Feeling of lack of oxygen.
• Feeling of tightness in the chest.

Indirect signs of VSD, the manifestation of which is facilitated by improper breathing:

• Dizziness.
• Pain in the heart area.
• Arrhythmia.
• Nervousness.
• Sleep disturbance.
• Poor blood supply to all parts of the body.

Classes with elements of dynamics

The following exercises involve physical activity and a certain body position while performing breathing exercises.

Exercise "Blacksmith's bellows"

At a fast pace, perform 30 sharp exhalations through the nose, while sharply drawing in the abdominal muscles. At the same time, the hands perform “blows” with their fists in the air. You can jump in time with your breathing movements.

Exercise "Pacification"

Suitable for suppressing aggression. Raise your straight arms up as you inhale, and as you exhale, sharply bend them at the elbows, hitting yourself on the front surface of the chest.

From yoga gymnastics

In Eastern practices, breathing techniques are designated by the term “Pranayana”, which implies inhaling prana - vital energy - along with air. To perform it correctly, you need to sit in the lotus position. If this is a difficult task for you, you can simply cross your legs “Turkish style”.

Keeping your back and head straight, we inhale slowly, feeling how the air consistently fills the tops of the lungs, the entire chest and lower sections, pushing back the diaphragm. At the height of inhalation, pause for a couple of seconds, and then slowly exhale. Allow 5-10 minutes for this task.

Exercise "Crane"

It also comes to us from yoga. Lie on your back with your legs straight up. As you exhale, bring them closer to your head, and as you inhale, bring them back. The inhalation should be 2 times shorter than the exhalation.

Types of physical activity

It is important for dystonics to exercise regularly, and the sport itself is not particularly important. The main thing is that the training takes place at a comfortable pace and that the patient does not overexert himself during exercise. The easiest option is to seek help from a doctor from the physical therapy office at the nearest clinic

The specialist will tell you what exercises you can do at home or in the gym

The easiest option is to seek help from a doctor from a physical therapy office at the nearest clinic. The specialist will tell you what exercises you can do at home or in the gym.

Gym

Neurosis, VSD and panic attacks are perfectly corrected by regular exercise in the gym. A person can choose strength training, group cardio training, or even classes with a rehabilitation trainer.

1. For hypotonic VSD, strength training is recommended. The main emphasis is on developing the back muscles. Isolated loads are recommended, that is, exercises performed on simulators. Such exercises do not require a sharp change in body position, which, in the hypotonic form of VSD, can lead to a sharp decrease in pressure. The main exercises are pulley pull-downs, horizontal rows, dumbbell raises, rowing machine.
2. For VSD of the hypertensive type, classes with a rehabilitation trainer are recommended. He must be warned about the risk of sudden surges in blood pressure. You can perform a variety of exercises on your own, but without sharp bends and body positions in which your legs are higher than your head.
3. The mixed type of disorder allows you to combine any type of exercise in the gym, depending on how you feel at the moment.

But it’s better to avoid group cardio training. All such exercises are aimed at quickly burning fat and are performed at an intense pace. During training, pulse and blood pressure increase, which is dangerous for dystonics.

Running and walking

No need to run at a sprint pace

To improve physical endurance and general well-being during VSD, running, brisk walking and any other physical therapy in the fresh air are useful. However, running at a moderate pace is recommended. The main emphasis is not on speed, but on range. The optimal duration of a run is 30-40 minutes.

If you don't get enough air while running, it is recommended to replace the run with a walk at a fast pace. Sports and Nordic walking perfectly strengthen the cardiovascular system and relieve stress.

Swimming

A swimming pool is the best cure for nerves. To restore the nervous system, it is recommended to go swimming. Moreover, you can swim in any style and at any comfortable pace.

Water aerobics is also very beneficial for health - a set of simple exercises performed in water.

Cycling

Another great form of physical activity is cycling. It is advisable to carry out cycling trips in nature, in the forest or closer to the sea. The driving pace is chosen to be comfortable; bumps and off-road conditions should be avoided, as strong vibrations can provoke a deterioration in well-being or even a sudden attack of panic.

Riding a bike for 30 minutes 2-3 times a week is enough to feel much healthier within a month.

Cardio equipment

Not everyone likes strength training in the gym, and outdoor exercise is highly dependent on the weather. Cardio exercise equipment will help you maintain a healthy nervous system all year round. You can purchase such a device for home use, or practice in the gym.

1. The treadmill is the best way to relieve stress and improve your overall well-being. For VSD, it is recommended not to run, but to quickly walk uphill (the angle of the path). Just 40 minutes of walking 2-3 times a week not only strengthens nerves and blood vessels, but also helps you lose excess weight.
2. Another great simulator for those who care about their health is the orbitrack. It imitates skiing, but does not load the spine and knee joints. Recommended for home use for people with VSD and other psychosomatic diseases.
3. You can also use an exercise bike at home. It does not create dangerous vibrations, and you can “ride” whenever you want.

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The main rule is to exercise regularly. The minimum duration of exercise on a cardio machine is half an hour.

Playing sports

Often people do not differentiate between the concepts of “sport” and “physical therapy”. However, the difference between them is significant. Exercise therapy involves light health-improving physical activity that even a sick person can handle. They are primarily necessary for the body’s adaptation to external conditions.

Professional sport is aimed at achieving certain results in competitions. Intense muscle work occurs, the cardiovascular and respiratory systems are also subject to significant stress. Therefore, you can fearlessly engage in sports only against the backdrop of good health.

Is it possible to play sports with VSD?

In fact, vegetative-vascular dystonia is not a direct contraindication to sports activities. In part, they will even be beneficial: the resistance of all body systems to stress will increase, blood vessels will begin to react less acutely to changes in external conditions, and a person will feel better. However, playing sports against the background of VSD can also have negative consequences:

• Excessive loads can cause adaptation failure;
• When engaging in traumatic sports against the background of a suddenly developed attack of VSD, there is a risk of harming one’s own health;
• When participating in competitions, excitement and anxiety appear, which can aggravate the symptoms of VSD;
• In team sports, responsibility for the entire team appears, and increased nervous tension can also lead to an exacerbation of the disease.

Therefore, in each case, this issue is resolved individually and only after consulting a specialist.

What sports help with VSD?

Usually, non-professional sports are allowed when there is no longer a need to participate in competitions and chase records. Most useful for VSD:

• Running, race walking;
• Swimming;
• Team dynamic games;
• A ride on the bicycle;
• Skiing and ice skating.

But it is better to refuse weightlifting and training according to the Tabata system. Remember that each body has its own load limit, and do not overdo it during exercise.

Vegetative-vascular dystonia is a condition that is difficult to correct with medication. The most effective are often psychotherapy and various techniques that develop self-discipline and the ability to quickly calm down. That is why breathing exercises for VSD can achieve a significant effect with regular training.

What is prohibited in VSD

The combination of VSD and sports is not only acceptable, but also desirable. But the choice of training must be approached very responsibly.

You cannot play chess: during the game, a person becomes emotionally overexcited, and there is a risk of a hypertensive crisis.

Also, when treating vegetative-vascular dystonia, it is prohibited to engage in:

• powerlifting;
• martial arts;
• kettlebell lifting;
• arm wrestling;
• discus throwing;
• bodybuilding;
• weightlifting.