Here’s a health trick that takes almost no effort: Breathe in for four seconds and out for six seconds. Doing this for 60 seconds can lower your heart rate, calm your nervous system, activate your parasympathetic nervous system (the “rest and digest” mode), reduce stress and support cardiovascular health.

A 2023 study published in Cell Reports Medicine found that this kind of slow, controlled breathing, especially with a longer exhale, had a more significant effect on stress reduction and heart rate variability than mindfulness meditation.

It’s free, instant and requires no yoga mat. Just breathe.