There is so much that the body can do by itself. It has its own immune system that can keep many problems at bay, but that ability is limited. There are things that you, as a person, have to undertake to give your body the much-needed strength to keep diseases and other conditions at an arm’s length, one of those is maintaining your body fitness. Hypertension can be managed through fitness. The following are some of the exercise routines you can try out for this purpose.
Walking
Exercising takes a lot of mental and physical effort. You have to will your body into doing it and maintaining a routine into the foreseeable future. This is the reason why many people find keeping fit a very huge chore. With walking, however, things become a lot easier and manageable.
If you are dealing with hypertension, it is recommended that you do brisk walks of about 10 minutes each, three times a day. You could do it every morning and evening before and after work, and then create time at the office to go for a walk outside during your lunch break.
Walking helps reduce stiffness in your blood vessels, allowing the blood to flow more easily around the body without exerting unnecessary pressure.
Cycling
Among all forms of exercises known to man, cycling has got to be the most enjoyable and the healthiest exercise form of all. The main reason for that is that cycling can also double up as an efficient mode of transportation. People suffering from hypertension should really consider ditching their cars for bicycles if their places of work are not that far from where they live. Imagine making a round trip from your house to the office and back; you would never need to step into a gym.
By expending energy and making use of your muscles, your blood vessels will dilate, leading to a drop in blood pressure, which in turn reduces the complications related to hypertension.
Treadmilling
If the outdoor life is too extreme for you or running and cycling along roads is something that gives you anxiety, then you can turn to treadmilling. Set up a treadmill in your one house and dedicate 30 minutes to a slow jog or brisk walk at a manageable pace.
If setting up a treadmill in your house is too expensive, you can always pop into your nearest gym and hit the treadmill for half an hour. For cycling alternatives, you can try the pedal pushing machine that is common in most gyms. Split the exercise into 10-minute segments to allow yourself to catch some breath.
Lifting Weights
There is a very clear connection between hypertension and obesity. You stand a higher risk of getting high blood pressure if you are overweight; the reason behind this is pretty straight forward. Excess body fat adds more strain on your heart, forcing it to pump much harder, which in turn adds more strain on blood vessels, leading to an increase in blood pressure.
To mitigate this, you may need to do something about your weight. Enroll in a gym and start hitting the weights under the guidance of a fitness instructor. It will take time for you to start seeing the results, but you should never skip a single day come rain or sunshine.
Swimming
Much like cycling, swimming is another fun activity that can also be an intense exercising routine. Swimming is especially safe and good for hypertension patients who are older. As you grow older, muscles become more susceptible to tearing; if you take part in intense workouts, you may end up injuring yourself. Swimming, on the other hand, is within a controlled environment, and you get some help from water buoyancy.
By swimming non-stop for 20-40 minutes, you will significantly reduce your systolic blood pressure. Safe and fun as it may be, do not overdo it. The recommended routine is 150 minutes per week.
Dancing
Joining a dancing class has never looked so attractive before. On top of learning how to bust some slick dancehall moves, you get the chance to keep your body fit and strong enough to deal with high blood pressure. Dancing can be done from home; all you will need is to create some space, hit the play button on your favorite playlist, and dance away.
Then the best path here would be to be guided by a professional; for this, you do not need to enroll for a dancing class. Countless free YouTube fitness channels offer dancing routines that could be beneficial for you. You only need to create time for it, either in the evening after work or early morning before leaving the house.
Don’t Forget to Hydrate
High sodium content in the body is one of the leading causes of hypertension. The best way to get rid of the excess, apart from cutting down on salt, is by drinking lots of water. The more the water intake, the more diluted your blood will be, leading to a drop in blood pressure.
Conclusion
As you exercise every day, remember to combine that with enough rest and the proper diet for the best results. You will also be well served if you keep track of your progress. After every workout, once you have relaxed, take out your home blood pressure kit and take readings to check on progress. For the best results, we recommend the reliable Raycome BP monitor that comes with easy to use functionalities and accurate readings.
