If you have high blood pressure, you may be aware of the causes like lack of exercise. Here are helpful tips and exercises to lower blood pressure
If you have high blood pressure, or know someone who does, you are aware of the dangers associated with the condition.
You are probably also aware of the causes, which range from an unhealthy diet, stress, lack of exercise, sleep apnea, smoking and more.
Obviously, one of the most difficult aspects of lowering your blood pressure is just where and how to begin.
Exercises to Lower Blood Pressure
In order to get on the right track with your blood pressure, you must change aspects of your life.
Although, there are many facets of change that must be pursued (smoking, drinking eating, etc), we will talk about ways to lower blood pressure through exercise.
More specifically, tips to help you get started. Here is the list of tips in no particular order.
Increase Intensity of Normal Activities
During ordinary tasks or occurrences, add a little extra intensity or distance to it.
For instance, next time you go to the mall, park far away from your destination thereby increasing your exercise.
Another example is to take the stairs whenever possible, as opposed to using the elevator.
Have Fun With Your Exercise
This can mean a variety of things, and is entirely under your discretion.
An example might be bike riding with your family.
Hit the Gym
Some people need a place to go workout, although unnecessary; the benefits are strong.
Hiring a trainer for one or two sessions when you begin your membership will allow you to create a training program, and learn to lift with proper technique.
Swim
If walking, running, and lifting don’t work for you, swimming is an amazing alternative that most people really enjoy.
Mini-Workouts
30 minutes of working out daily is necessary to benefit yourself. However, you might not have time to complete this at once.
It is perfectly acceptable to split into 3 segments of ten minutes.
So when you are on your lunch break or right before work, you can run in place, do push-ups, sit-ups, etc for at least 10 minutes.
Home Gym
Convenience is often times one of the most important factors of exercise.
For this case, buy equipment like a treadmill or dumbbell set. Then work out in the comfort of your own home.
Cautions
When you begin working out, it is a slow and sometimes frustrating process. However, you must begin with low intensity training and work your way up.
Also, remember to pace yourself, and incorporate an adequate warm up and cool down stages to your workout.
Lastly, always be aware of your limitations.
Other Tips
Besides exercising and losing weight, there are plenty of other lifestyle changes you can make to lower your blood pressure.
For example, you can reduce the salt in your diet, cut back on caffeine and reduce your stress levels.
Reducing Salt
By removing even just a small amount of sodium (salt) from your diet, you can reduce your blood pressure readings by about 5 or 6 points.
Try to eat fewer processed foods as they are high in sodium levels and always try to pick low-sodium alternatives when grocery shopping.
Limiting Caffeine
While the effects of consuming caffeine in the long-term are still unclear, it may slightly increase your blood pressure levels.
To measure it, check your pressure within 30 minutes after consuming caffeinated beverages and, if it increases by 5 or 10 points, you may be sensitive to caffeine, which means limiting it in your life may help.
Manage Your Stress
Stressful situations can hardly be avoided, by learning how to properly manage them may help lower your blood pressure readings.
Do your best to avoid stress triggers, make some time for relaxation, focus on issues you can control, and practice meditation techniques that will help calm you when faced with stressful events.
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