Best Exercises To Lower Blood Pressure

What are the best exercises to lower blood pressure? Fortunately there are many, but first let's look at the how's and why's of the relationship between exercise and blood pressure.

High blood pressure is a serious problem in the U.S. More than sixty-five million people have high blood pressure and another forty-five million people have prehypertension.

It is the leading cause of heart attacks and strokes, while contributing to many other ailments.

Regular exercise is one of the best remedies for high blood pressure available. Exercise makes your heart stronger and more efficient. In fact, proper exercise can lower your systolic pressure (the upper number in a BP reading) up to 10 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg).

In certain cases this can eliminate the need for medication to control your blood pressure. Plus, studies have shown that exercise lowers blood pressure in 75 percent of people with hypertension. So exercise can benefit almost everyone. 

The best exercises to lower blood pressure are Aerobic activities. Exercises are aerobic if they place added demands on your heart, lungs and muscles, increasing your need for oxygen. Walking, Jogging, Running, Swimming, Biking, Stair Climbing, etc. are all good examples.

Any exercise that primarily uses the large muscle groups (legs), is rhythmic in nature, can be done for an extended period of time (10-60 min), and can elevate your heart rate, qualifies as a good choice.

Fortunately, recent studies show that low to moderate intensity training appears to be as beneficial as higher intensity training for reducing blood pressure. So you don't have to kill yourself to get a positive effect.

Accordingly, even everyday activities like mowing the lawn, raking leaves or washing the car counts - as long as it takes effort. Try and find activities that you enjoy to better guarantee long term participation. Some good recreational choices include: Golf, Dancing, Surfing, Hiking, Skiing, and Volleyball. 

Guidelines for Using Exercises To Lower Blood Pressure

• Be sure and consult with your doctor before beginning any kind of exercise program.
• Set a goal of exercising at least 3 times per week, but preferably 5 times per week.
• Start slowly, warm up by doing whatever Aerobic activity you pick, at a low level of intensity for 5 minutes. Include a 5 minute cool down and some stretching at the end of your workout.
• Aim for 30 minutes of Aerobic exercise each day. Breaking it up into 10 or 15 minute segments is an effective alternative if you can't find 30 minutes uninterrupted.
• Use a target heart rate to monitor intensity. Shoot for a heart rate of 70% of your maximum heart rate (220 minus your age). Work your way up slowly to that target heart rate.

Remember, almost any activity can be beneficial if you do it at a moderate intensity.

With many choices of exercises to lower blood pressure available, you have no excuse. Almost anyone can safely enjoy a light to moderate workout and reap the benefits of lower blood pressure. Get started now! 

What are the Best Ab Exercises?

Also try the Exercise Ball Workouts!!

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