Breathing exercise table

I've decided to keep track of my breathing exercises in this blog, at least for a time--thus the table below. This table will provide me (and perhaps you) with some important data about whether/how well these breathing exercises can help to lower or control blood pressure.

The table should be pretty self-explanatory. I'll be maintaining this table for as long as I'm off the blood pressure meds (hydrochlorothiazide). In the far right column I will write "n/a" on those days (probably most days) when I was unable to measure my blood pressure. I will provide a link directly to this post among those along the right side of my blog's main page.

Date, time	No. of breaths, total time	BrPM average	BP reading, time, where, etc
1/11/10, 11 AM	50, 12.5 minutes	4	n/a
1/11/10, 11 PM	50, 14 minutes	ca. 3.6	n/a
1/12/10, 9 AM	40, 11 minutes	ca. 3.6	n/a
1/12/10, 11 PM	50, 13 minutes	ca. 3.9	152/94 (6 PM)
1/13/10, 10 AM	50, 13 minutes	ca. 3.9	n/a
1/13/10 11 PM	37, 10 minutes	3.7	n/a
1/14/10 11 AM	47, 12 minutes	ca. 3.91	n/a
1/14/10 11:30 PM	48, 12 minutes	4	n/a
1/15/10 8 AM	40, 10 minutes	4	122/842
1/15/10 12:30 AM	44, 11 minutes	4	n/a
1/16/10 12:30 PM	40, 10 minutes	4	n/a
1/16/10 12:30 AM	40, 10 minutes	4	n/a
1/17/10 11 PM	40, 10 minutes	4	n/a
1/18/10 8 AM	40, 10 minutes	4	150/100 (2:30 PM)3
1/18/10 11 PM	48, 12 minutes	4	n/a
1/19/10 11AM	40, 10 minutes	4	n/a
1/19/10 12 AM	40, 10 minutes	4	n/a
1/20/10 11 AM	40, 10 minutes	4	n/a
1/20/10 12 AM	40, 10 minutes	4	n/a
1/21/10 10:50 AM	40, 10 minutes	4	n/a
1/21/10 10:15 PM	40, 10 minutes	4	n/a
1/22/10 9 AM	40, 10 minutes	4	130/84 (10 AM)4
1/23/10 11:30 PM	40, 10minutes	4	n/a
1/24/10 11 PM	40, 10 minutes	4	n/a
1/25/10, 9 AM	48, 12 minutes	4	131/84, (8:30 AM, pharm., r. arm)
1/25/10 11 PM	40, 10 minutes	4	n/a
1/26/10 4 PM	40, 10 minutes	4	n/a
1/27/10 10:30 PM	40, 10 minutes	4	132/100 (8 AM, in-house, l. arm)5
1/28/10 10 AM	40, 10 minutes	4	n/a
1/28/10 11 PM	40, 10 minutes	4	n/a
1/29/10, 11 PM	40, 10 minutes	4	n/a
1/30/10 11 PM	40, 10 minutes	4	n/a
1/31/10, 11 PM	40, 10 minutes	4	n/a
2/1/10, 9 AM	40, 10 minutes	4	n/a
2/2/10 9 AM	40, 10 minutes	4	n/a
2/4/10 11 PM	40, 10 minutes	4	n/a
2/5/10 8:45 AM	48, 12 minutes	4	128/82 (9 AM, Dr.'s office, r. arm)
2/6/10 11 PM	40, 10 minutes	4	n/a
2/7/10 11 PM	40, 10 minutes	4	n/a
2/8/10 10 PM	40, 10 minutes	4	n/a
2/9/10 10 AM	40, 10 minutes	4	n/a
2/10/10 10:30 AM	40, 10 minutes	4	n/a
2/10/10 11 PM	40, 10 minutes	4	n/a
2/11/10 10 PM	40, 10 mintes	4	n/a
2/12/10 11 AM	40, 10 minutes	4	n/a
2/12/11 PM	40, 10 minutes	4	134/87 (5 PM, pharm., l. arm)
2/13/10 11 PM	40, 10 minutes	4	n/a
2/14/10 9 AM	40, 10 minutes	4	n/a
2/14/10 11 PM	40, 10 minutes	4	n/a
2/19/10 9 AM	40, 10 minutes	4	136/86 (9 AM, r. arm, Dr.'s office)
2/20/10, 11 PM	40, 10 minutes	4	n/a
2/21/10 11 PM	40, 10 minutes	4	n/a
2/22/10 10:30 PM	40, 10 minutes	4	n/a
2/23/10 7 AM	40, 10 minutes	4	n/a
3/1/10 11 PM	40, 10 minutes	4	n/a6
3/5/10 11 AM	48, 12 minutes	4	150/87 (11 AM, r.  arm,  Dr.'s office)
3/6/10 11 PM	40, 10 minutes	4	n/a
3/7/10, 11 PM	40, 10 minutes	4	n/a
3/8/10, 11 PM	40, 10 minutes	4	n/a
3/10/10 11 PM	40, 10 minutes	4	n/a
3/11/10 9 AM	40, 10 minutes	4	n/a
3/11/10 11 PM	40, 10 minutes	4	n/a
3/12/10 11 PM	40, 10 minutes	4	n/a
3/13/10 11 PM	40, 10 minutes	4	n/a
3/14/10 11 PM	40, 10 minutes	4	n/a
3/15/10 10 PM	40, 10 minutes	4	n/a
3/22/10 11 AM	40, 10 minutes	4	n/a
3/22/10 10 PM	40, 10 minutes	4	n/a
3/23/10, 10 PM	40, 10 minutes	4	n/a
3/24/10 10 AM	40, 10 minutes	4	138/98 (11 AM, in-house, r. arm)
3/28/10	n/a	n/a	143/84 (6 PM, pharm., l. arm)

Below are just some empty cells/rows I can copy and paste into the above table, just in case I need them.

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UPDATES
¹ I decided to start using a stop watch as opposed to a wristwatch for timing these exercises and noted that, contrary to the advice commonly given for executing these breathing exercises--the recommendation being that exhalation should take about twice as long as inhalation--my exhalations were actually taking about 5 times longer than inhalations. So partway through today's exercise I made some adjustments, inhaling more slowly and exhaling a little more quickly. I found a 5 second inhalation followed by a 10 second exhalation to be a pretty comfortable rate. That's what I'll be trying to train myself to do from henceforward, so expect the sub-4 BrPM figures to give way to a steady 4-plus-a-little BrPM rate. Subsequent to today (1/14/10), unless otherwise noted, expect all future entries to follow this new breathing pattern.
² !!! This reading, as you may guess, warrants comment. The reading was taken at my Dr.'s office, using my right arm. The much higher reading listed above in this table I got from a self-service machine at the local pharmacy using my left arm. The disparity between these readings calls for enough further discussion that I'll limit what I say about it in this note. Look for a subsequent blog entry that will address the details. I'll just mention in parting that, right after getting the 122/84 blood pressure reading, I walked over to the local pharmacy to see what reading I'd get there. So about 1/2 hour later I got readings of 159/90 and 140/90--again using my left arm--from the self-service machine at the pharmacy. UPDATE (1/18/10) I now believe the 122/84 reading was in error and that the actual reading was significantly higher.
³ Taken at the doctor's office. Both arms. Went back on HZ today as a result breathing exercises, at leats in the short term, do not seem to be having much effect. Not sure whether I'll continue with them, and thus this chart.
⁴ Right arm, taken at doctor's office. After leaving the doctor's office I took readings at the self-service machine in the local pharamacy (left arm) and got similar readings (143/80, 129/84).
⁵ Pulse 60. Rough night last night. Consequently I got up at the last moment and didn't do breathing exercises which, I'm fairly certain, would have lowered the diastolic reading. The designation "in-house" in this chart will mean the reading was taken here in the building by a nurse who visits about once a month.
⁶ Was out of town for a few days and did not do breathing exercises with regularity. Finally got back to it today.