5 quick exercises to help lower blood pressure.
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Findings from a new study suggest that adding a short period of exercise to your daily routine can help lower blood pressure.
Published in the journal Circulation, and led by the University of London and the University of Sydney, the research looked at the data of 14,761 people who wore activity trackers for 24 hours to examine the relationship between daily movement and blood pressure.
Researchers have found that an extra five minutes of exercise that raises the heart rate, such as climbing stairs, running or riding a bike – as opposed to any other activity – can lower systolic blood pressure (SBP) by 0.68 millimeters of mercury (mmHg) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) at 0.54mmHg2.
But how does exercise help with blood pressure, and what types of activities should we include in our daily routine to lower it?
How does exercise help lower blood pressure and keep your heart healthy?
Penny Weston, health, wellness and nutrition expert, says: “Exercise can strengthen your heart, improve blood circulation, reduce stress which can affect our blood pressure and low cholesterol.” All of this allows your heart to pump more blood around your body with less effort, which reduces the stress on your arteries, thus lowering your blood pressure.
Dr Katy Kasraie, GP at The London General Practice, adds: “Exercise also helps with weight, stress and sleep, all of which contribute to a healthy heart.”
What are some of the symptoms of high blood pressure?
Kasraie says: “High blood pressure usually does not cause noticeable symptoms until it reaches a very dangerous level or causes a medical emergency.” “This is why hypertension (high blood pressure) is called the ‘silent killer’ because it may not have symptoms for a long time.
However, very high blood pressure (blood pressure) can lead to symptoms such as severe headache, vision problems, chest pain, shortness of breath, irregular heartbeat, nosebleeds, severe anxiety and/or confusion or mental changes.”
High blood pressure becomes more common with age.
Kasraie says: “When they are 60 years old, about two-thirds of people have it.” “Although young people can have high blood pressure, the risks increase significantly after the age of 50 due to aging of the blood vessels and lifestyle.”
What problems can cause high blood pressure?
“Anemia affects health very much because if it remains undiagnosed it can cause serious health risks such as cardiovascular diseases such as heart attack and stroke, damage to blood vessels in the eye cause vision problems, damage to the renal arteries leading to kidney disease and eventually failure,” warns Kasraie.
Here are 5 exercises that can help you lower your blood pressure…
1. Chair exercises
Get your heart rate up by doing simple but effective chair exercises.
Abbie Watkins, personal trainer at OriGym says: “Chair exercises such as leg raises and handstands can provide low-impact activities that can improve your circulation and heart health.
2. Light energy training
“Using light weights or resistance bands can help support good blood flow and heart health,” explains Kasraie.
Grab a resistance band and do squats in the kitchen with it.
“Squats with groups involve standing on a group and squatting while holding the ends, which helps to strengthen the legs, glutes and core,” explains Rowan Clift, training expert at AI- based fitness and lifestyle coaching app Freeletics.
3. Stretch and balance
“Gentle stretching and balancing works like standing on one leg to improve blood flow,” says Kasraie.
Find a local yoga or Tai Chi class, or search for easy beginner lessons online.
“Yoga is like stretching the cat’s cow to help increase flexibility and mobility, while Tai Chi movements such as the ‘brush knee and push’ focus on balance, fluidity and awareness. of the body,” emphasizes Clift.
4. Water exercise
Go to your nearest recreation center and jump in the pool to get your blood pumping.
“Swimming and water aerobics are a great option for adults because they provide a full-body workout with less stress on the joints,” explains Clift. “Typical water exercises include water walking and leg lifts.
“Aquatic walking, for example, can be done by walking in space or by crossing a pool, and leg lifts help strengthen the core and lower body.”
5. Walking fast
“Brisk walking for 10 minutes every day can be a great way to improve your heart health,” says Weston. And you can work hard to run or walk for a long time to improve your health even more.
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