Stressed out? Hey, we’ve got an app for that. Called MyCalmBeat, the new app uses a heart rate monitor that attaches to the ear to detect a person’s optimal breathing rate, or resonant frequency, which is unique to each person. By achieving your optimal breathing rate, the company says the user can increase the variability of their heart rate to lower stress levels. Savannah DeVarney, vice president of product marketing for MyBrainSolutions, the creators of the app says, “People don’t realize the profound impact that slow breathing can have until they actually sit down and do it for 10 minutes and then they feel completely different.”
After finding their ideal breathing rate, animated exercises show users how to breathe at that rate, while the heart monitor provides feedback about the variability of their heart rate. DeVarney said the company collaborated with Dr Richard Gevirtz, a professor at the Alliant International University in San Diego, California, who conducts research in heart rate variability. The app is available for iPhone, Android and Blackberry.
Source: Reuters
