Exercise


Blood Pressure and Exercise – How to Keep Fit and Healthy

Do you know that many of us may just be going about our daily business not knowing that we have high blood pressure. When was the last time you visited your doctor to have your blood pressure checked? It is extremely important to keep regular tabs of our blood pressure (especially if you are overweight or obese) to remain healthy. The only way to detect high blood pressure is to keep track of it. If your blood pressure falls within what the doctors consider a normal level- less than 120/80 mm Hg, there may not be any cause for alarm. However, if you are overweight or have some medical problems like diabetics, stroke or heart disease you need to be concerned.
You can actually control you pressure naturally without the help of any medications. One of the causes of high blood pressure is lack of regular physical exercise. Carrying out regular exercises make your heart strong. A stronger heart can pump more blood without much effort. Invariably If your heart can work less to pump, the force on your arteries decreases, lowering your blood pressure. So if you exercise regularly, you reduce your chances of having high blood pressure and you also control your weight.
If you have not been exercising and you are over 40 years old, it’s about time you took it more seriously because as you advance in age, your chances of having high blood pressure increases. You don’t have to engage in marathon races or enroll in a gym to exercise, what you need is a short- about 30 min. daily routine exercise. You can start with some simple aerobics like push-up or run on a treadmill if you can afford one. Generally, any physical activity that increases your heart and breathing rates is considered aerobic. If you work in a high rise building and your office happens to be in one of the top floors, you may decide to use the stairs instead of the lifts- at first begin by climbing fewer floors and if all is well, you may increase that with time.
Regular exercises keep you fit and healthy. Merely including moderate physical activities to your daily routine can be helpful. You can try mountain walking, jogging, cycling, playing lawn tennis and swimming from time to time, don’t try to overcrowd your exercise on weekends, it can be count-productive. If at any time you notice an unusual dizziness, irregular heartbeat, excessive fatigue or severe shortness of breath you should seek medical attention immediately. I usually advise that you consult with your doctor before drawing up any exercise program.