July 8, 2025, 2:21 am | Read time: 5 minutes

Whether in professional life, within the family, or due to personal worries, stress is omnipresent. It not only strains the psyche but can also seriously endanger the heart. The vagus nerve plays a crucial role in this, as it can protect the heart and contribute to emotional balance. FITBOOK explores practical methods to activate it.

Stress as an Underestimated Risk Factor for the Heart

Chronic stress, anxiety, and depression not only affect mental balance but also significantly increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases. “Numerous scientific studies clearly show how closely stress, as well as depression and anxiety disorders, are linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases,” warns Prof. Thomas Voigtländer of the German Heart Foundation.

A possible protection is offered by the vagus nerve—a part of the parasympathetic nervous system. “It transmits signals from the brain to the heart,” explains Dr. Cora Stefanie Weber in the magazine “Herz heute” (2/2025). As a so-called “relaxation nerve,” it has a calming influence on pulse and blood pressure, thus contributing to heart health.

In everyday life, many people have an overactive sympathetic nervous system. It puts the body in a constant state of alert—with consequences for the heart.

How Stress Mobilizes the Body

Stress–derived from the Latin word “stringere” (to tighten)—is a natural reaction of the body to alarm stimuli. In stressful moments, the organism switches to activation mode: The brain registers a potential danger and triggers a cascade of stress hormones such as adrenaline, noradrenaline, and cortisol.¹

These messengers cause the bronchi to expand, breathing to accelerate, heart rate and blood pressure to rise, muscles to be supplied with nutrients, and insulin levels to increase. All this is to ensure that the body can react quickly, for example, by fleeing or fighting.

Central Control Between Head and Organs

The vagus nerve plays a key role in the unconscious control of vital bodily functions. As the tenth cranial nerve, it extends from the brainstem through the neck and chest to the abdomen. Along its path, it branches out to numerous organs—including the heart, lungs, liver, spleen, kidneys, and digestive organs—and connects them to the brain.²

It regulates digestion, breathing, heart rate, and the feeling of satiety. At the same time, it transmits internal signals such as hunger or exhaustion, influencing our behavior, especially in stressful moments. Thus, it significantly contributes to maintaining internal balance.

HRV: Measure of Regulatory Ability

The so-called heart rate variability (HRV) shows how flexibly the heart responds to external and internal stimuli. When the sympathetic nervous system is activated, heart rate, blood pressure, and respiratory rate increase. In healthy, young people or athletes, however, HRV is usually high, allowing them to relax significantly faster after exertion, thanks to the effect of the vagus nerve.

Not everyone possesses this ability to the same extent. According to the German Heart Foundation, people with anxiety and panic disorders have an increased risk of heart attacks. “It is believed that their brain can no longer sufficiently suppress anxiety reactions, their vagus nerve is inhibited, and they fall into chronic stress.”

According to Weber, people with an active vagus nerve and high HRV benefit from better concentration, emotional control, and higher emotional well-being. Findings suggest “that better awareness of one’s own feelings is associated with more stable heart action—and can thus be a protective factor.”

Measures to Strengthen the Vagus Nerve

The German Heart Foundation recommends a series of measures to activate the vagus nerve and simultaneously reduce the risk of heart attacks:

• Healthy diet and normal body weight
• Abstaining from nicotine, moderate alcohol consumption
• Adequate sleep
• Relaxation techniques such as deep abdominal breathing
• Regular endurance sports
• Effective stress management
• Psychotherapeutic conversations
• Art and body therapy

How Everyday Exercises Can Stimulate the Vagus Nerve

“On the internet and social media, numerous promises are made about the effects of stimulating the vagus nerve—for example, through self-massage of the neck or breathing exercises; but also through over-the-counter electronic devices,” reports Nils Kröger from the University of Tübingen on the university magazine “Puls” website. However, the effect depends on the individual case. “To say that stimulation always promotes relaxation would be wrong.”

At the same time, there is evidence that controlled breathing techniques such as deep breathing or progressive muscle relaxation are particularly effective, especially in combination with vagus nerve stimulation. The so-called box breathing or extended exhalation can also have a relaxing effect.

More on the topic

Emily Armstrong Linkin Park Frontwoman Sparks Hype Over Lidl Tracksuit

Clavus Corn – Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

Stimulation How to Strengthen the Vagus Nerve to Protect the Heart

Here Are Nine Exercises to Activate the Vagus Nerve

• Box Breathing: Inhale, hold, exhale, hold for four seconds each—ideal for calming.
• Singing: Especially vowels like A, O, or U have a stimulating effect.
• Gargling: A Simple exercise with water that stimulates laryngeal muscles and taste buds.
• Self-massage: Gently circle both hands on the sides of the neck between the ear and shoulder.
• Cold stimuli: A Cold shower, especially in the neck area, activates the parasympathetic nervous system.
• Head turning: Slowly turn the head left and right, fixing a point with the eyes each time.
• Raising eyebrows: Activates the vagus nerve via the facial nerve—ideal for experienced ear wigglers.
• Accommodation training: Alternately focus on near and distant objects—strengthens eye muscles and inner balance.
• Acupressure: Press a point in the ear for 30 seconds, repeat several times.³

Conclusion: Small Nerve with Big Impact

 

The vagus nerve controls far more than just physical processes—it influences how we respond to stress and how quickly we calm down. Its targeted activation can help balance the autonomic nervous system, buffer stress reactions, and promote recovery. Both initial scientific findings and practical experiences suggest that even small, regularly performed exercises in everyday life can have noticeable effects, not only on heart health but also on overall physical and emotional well-being.

*With material from dpa