High blood pressure: Four exercises that could work better than any medication
AS WE exit the festive weekend and head towards the New Year a lot of people might be thinking about New Year's Resolutions. One of these may be to exercise more; what you may not know is that some exercises can, very effectively, lower your blood pressure.
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According to research published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology you can effectively lower your blood pressure without the need for medication and through lifestyle changes alone.
Specifically, through exercise.
Even more, specifically, through four types of exercise.
Researchers from the institutions that contributed to the study, including the University of Oxford suggest that the most effective exercises for high blood pressure are:
• Walking
• Running
• Cycling
• Swimming
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According to the study people with hypertension, “are advised to engage in at least 30 min of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise such as walking, jogging, cycling or swimming on 5-7 days/week for at least 150 min a week”.
The researchers concluded that aerobic exercise, “is a useful and effective treatment option to lower blood pressure in patients with hypertension”.
Amidst a time when the nation’s average blood pressure may have risen as a result of the festive season, it is reassuring to know that if we feel our blood pressure rising that bit too far, that there is an easy way to get it down.
High blood pressure, whilst treatable, can become dangerous if left untreated.
According to the NHS, the condition can increase your risk and potentially lead to a number of dangerous conditions including:
• Heart disease
• Strokes
• Peripheral arterial disease
• Heart attacks
• Heart failure
• Aortic aneurysms
• Kidney disease
• Vascular dementia
Keeping on top of it then, is key.
Exercise isn’t the only way to lower your blood pressure, there are several lifestyle changes too.
Your diet plays a key role too.
Lowering the amount of salt you consume, cutting down on caffeine and alcohol, losing weight are all effective.
If you decide to stop smoking, if it is that you do smoke, will also help reduce your blood pressure.
There are several risk factors, say the NHS, that make you more likely to have high blood pressure
These include if you are:
• Over 65
• A smoker
• Overweight
• Have an unhealthy diet.
• Don’t get much sleep
• Have a relative with high blood pressure
• Are of black African or black Caribbean descent
• Live in a deprived area
If you are concerned about your blood pressure you can get it tested in your GP surgery or some pharmacies and even at work.