Indian J Physiol Pharmacol. 2012 Jan-Mar;56(1):80-7.

Influence of breathing exercise as recreation on cardiopulmonary status: a randomised controlled trial in children.
Tharion E, Samuel P, Rajalakshmi R, Gnanasenthil G, Subramanian RK.

Author information Abstract

Studies show that yogic type of breathing exercises reduces the spontaneous respiratory rate. However, there are no conclusive studies on the effects of breathing exercise as play on cardiopulmonary status among children with respiratory infections. We investigated the effects of breathing exercise as recreation on respiratory rate, heart rate, arterial blood pressure among children with respiratory infections (bronchitis, pneumonia, lung abscess). Hospitalized children with respiratory infections (6-15 years, both genders) were randomized into the intervention group (n=18), which performed daily breathing exercise like blowing a ping wheel and bubbles two times a day for 5days, and a control group (n=18) which did not perform any breathing exercise. Baseline cardiopulmonary indices were assessed in both groups. Reassessment was done after intervention and the change in the parameters from baseline was computed for each group. Comparison of the absolute changes [median (interquartile ranges)] of the parameters between the intervention and control group showed a significant difference in the spontaneous respiratory rate [intervention group -2.50 (-4.00, 1.00), control group 0.00 (-1.00, 1.00), cycles/min, P<0.001], mean arterial pressure [intervention group -0.67 (-6.67, 1.33), control group 0.67 (0.00, 6.67), mmHg, (P<0.05)], In conclusion, the changes produced by simple deep breathing exercise in the respiratory rate and cardiac modulation of the intervention group were significant, when compared to the changes in the control group. Thus practice of breathing exercise improves cardiopulmonary status. These findings have implications in the use of deep breathing exercises to improve cardiopulmonary control in subjects.

J Altern Complement Med. 2009 Mar;15(3):293-5. doi: 10.1089/acm.2008.0440.