How to Prevent and Treat High-Blood Pressure with Exercises?

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How to Prevent and Treat High-Blood Pressure with Exercises?

How to Prevent and Treat High-Blood Pressure with Exercises?

How to prevent and treat high blood pressure with exercises: An Introduction

It is estimated that one in four heart attacks are caused by high blood pressure in modern-day society. Furthermore, it is also expected that by 2025, at this rate, around 60% of the world’s population will have hypertension. This rate might not be 100% accurate in regards to Sri Lanka, but with the recent events of Pandemic and work-from-home concepts, the lessening of exercises and increase of stress are shown to have higher effects than before on the general Sri Lankan Public as well. This is a huge concern considering the current state in various fields including medicine in Sri Lanka too. While it is widely accepted that exercising lowers blood pressure until now recommendations have focused on the amount of exercise per week, without considering an individual’s starting blood pressure level considering the new norm of 2020-2021 time period. It’s a common question among people who regularly exercise that “why is my blood pressure lower after exercise?”. So, with that in mind, let’s dive into which are the best exercises to treat high blood pressure and how to prevent it altogether.

How to lower your blood pressure with exercises

How to lower your blood pressure with exercises

Your blood pressure is measured in millimeters of mercury, which is abbreviated as mm Hg. There are two numbers involved in the measurement:

  • Systolic blood pressure: The top number represents the force of the pressure when your heart pushes blood into the arteries throughout the rest of your body.
  • Diastolic blood pressure: The bottom number represents the pressure in your blood vessels between beats, when your heart is filling and relaxing.
Blood Pressure Categories
Source: heart.org

Your blood pressure depends on how much blood your heart is pumping, and how much resistance there is to blood flow in your arteries. The narrower your arteries, the higher your blood pressure. When taking these facts into consideration, we can come up with basic yet very effective exercising methods you can try out at home. This includes:

  • Biking or stationary cycling (minimum of 30 minutes a day)
  • Eating less processed food
  • Weight training
  • Meditation or yoga
  • Treadmilling / pedal pushing
  • Swimming
  • Moderate walking (minimum of 10 minutes: 3 rounds per day)

Some of these exercises might not look like activities that you can do from home at first glance, but with suited gym equipment and the right mindset, you can probably achieve great results. Let’s look into these exercises in great detail.

Best exercises to lower your blood pressure

Biking or stationary cycling (minimum of 30 minutes a day)

Air Bike

Exercises related to stationary cycling or biking lower blood pressure by reducing blood vessel stiffness so blood can flow more easily. The effects of exercise are most noticeable during and immediately after a workout. Lowered blood pressure can be most significant right after you work out.  It is also an efficient and effective way to burn calories and body fat while strengthening your heart, lungs, and muscles. Compared to some other types of cardio equipment, a stationary bicycle puts less stress on your joints, but it still provides an excellent aerobic workout.

Recommended stationary bikes you can use at your home:

SPYKER 100 – This exercise bike stationary is good for tall and non-tall people. The handlebar and comfortable seat are 4-way adjustable to fit those users with different heights to the most comfortable ride. The pedals are designed with adjustable straps, it can fit for different size feet well. Belt Drive enhanced service life. Adjustable Magnetic Resistance to fulfill different workout plans.

Check out this product here

Upright Bike LK-7000A – The LK7000A is a comfortable upright bike with this machine each user will get the most natural position. Male TEST & Female TEST program Helps to control the fitness condition through controlled recovery Thanks to the horizontal and vertical seat adjustment. Its ergonomic design helps to align hip, knee, and pedals.

Check out this product here

Eser Marketing International Exercise Bikes Products Range

Eating less processed foods

Eating less processed foods

Most of the extra salt and sugar in your diet comes from processed foods and foods from restaurants. Foods labeled “low fat” are usually high in salt and sugar to compensate for the loss of fat. Fat is what gives food taste and makes you feel full. Cutting down processed food will help you eat less salt, less sugar, and fewer refined carbohydrates. All of this can result in lower blood pressure.

Weight training

Weight training

Although it sounds counterintuitive, weight training or lifting can reduce blood pressure. This is a place where a lot of people get the question “why is my blood pressure lower after exercise?” Strength training can actually raise blood pressure levels temporarily but can help overall fitness, which will improve blood pressure levels as well. Here are a few recommended products that can come in handy when doing weight training from home.

Eser Marketing International Weight Training Products Range

Meditation or Yoga

Meditation or Yoga

Mindfulness and meditation, including transcendental meditation, have long been used as methods to reduce stress. Yoga, which commonly involves breathing control, posture, and meditation techniques, can also be effective in reducing stress and blood pressure. Studies of yoga practices that included breath control, postures, and meditation were nearly twice as effective as yoga practices that didn’t include all three of these elements.

Read the previous article about yoga

Eser Marketing International Yoga Products Range

Treadmilling / Pedal pushing

treadmills prices in Sri Lanka

Blood pressure readings were even more optimal in a study when participants ambled along at a slow 1-mile-per-hour pace at desk-based treadmills for at least 10 minutes every hour or pedaled stationary bikes under a desk for at least 10 minutes every hour. A treadmill reduces impact better than the street or other outdoor surfaces when it comes to running. Every time you take a step while running on the pavement, dirt, or even hard surfaces, your legs take a lot of impact, especially when you go fast. Over time, stepping on rocks in the wrong direction too often and standing on pavement can cause ankle, knee, and back pain. Eventually, these can cause severe health problems in our old age, as well as painful bone fractures. So, it would be best if you prefer a treadmill rather than traditional walking on uneven surfaces.

Eser Marketing International Treadmill Products Range

Swimming

Swimming

While Home Swimming Pools aren’t the most usual thing in a Sri Lankan household, this form of exercise has been found to be beneficial in controlling blood pressure in adults 60 and older, according to another study done in the USA. Over a period of 12 weeks, swimmer-participants gradually worked their way up to 45 minutes of continuous swimming at a time. By the end of the study, the swimmers had reduced their systolic blood pressure by an average of nine points. Swimming is a great total body workout too while helping you to maintain a healthy weight, healthy heart, and lungs.

Moderate walking (minimum of 10 minutes: 3 rounds per day)

Walking

Exercise lowers blood pressure by reducing blood vessel stiffness so blood can flow more easily. The effects of exercise are most noticeable during and immediately after a workout. Lowered blood pressure can be most significant right after you work out. So, health professionals theorize, the ideal way to combat high blood pressure might be to break up your workout into several sessions throughout the day. In fact, one study found that three 10-minute walks a day more effectively prevented future blood pressure spikes than one 30-minute trek per day. 

With the number of running tracks being built in Sri Lanka at the moment, you can use this to your advantage. Recommended Treadmill products and the other Home Fitness products might come in handy too.

සිංහල බසින් මෙ ම ලිපිය කියවන්න

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