High Blood Pressure Exercise: 6 Best exercises and Diet for Improve Health
f you have high blood pressure, you can lower your blood pressure by doing high blood pressure exercise and following a healthy diet regularly. Losing weight and reaching a healthy weight also may help to reduce blood pressure.
Regular physical exercise and high blood pressure diet also play a crucial role in controlling high blood pressure. The DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet is a healthy eating plan designed to help lower high blood pressure and improve heart health.
Here I have mentioned exercise and diet that are very simple and inexpensive. If you follow all the mentioned exercises and diet plan consistently, you will definitely gain good confidence to manage and lower your high blood pressure.
6 Best High Blood Pressure Exercises
Walk 10 Minutes Three Times Daily
Regular exercise may help to lower your blood pressure. It helps by making your blood vessels more flexible and allowing blood to flow more easily. This benefit comes during your exercise and it can continue afterward.
It is better to do break exercises for 10 minutes each, 3 times a day, instead of 30 minutes once a day. This break exercise can help to control blood pressure better than one 30-minute walk, and it helps to prevent sudden increases in blood pressure.
Cycle for 30 minutes a day or 10 minutes, 3 times a day
As same as walking, Regular cycling also can help to lower your blood pressure. It helps by making your blood vessels more flexible and allowing blood to flow more easily. This benefit comes during your exercise and it can continue afterward.
It is better to do break cycling for 10 minutes each, 3 times a day, instead of 30 minutes once a day. This break cycling can help to control blood pressure better than one 30 minute walk, and it helps to prevent sudden increases in blood pressure.
Walking uphill
Walking uphill or climbing hills is very helpful to maintain physical fitness and it helps to strengthen your muscles. This activity can help to lower your blood pressure by up to 10 points.
Walking on a treadmill or Using a pedal exerciser while sitting
Walking on a treadmill or using a pedal exerciser at your desk for at least 10 minutes every hour may help to lower your blood pressure. If you habituate this activity throughout the day, it helps to improve your blood pressure and reduce the effects of sitting for long periods.
Muscle strengthening exercises
During muscle strengthening or lifting weights, your blood pressure may increase for a short time, but if you do it regularly, it helps to improve your overall fitness and it can help to control your blood pressure.
Swimming
Swimming is a great exercise, especially for people aged 60 and older. As per one study, if you swim for 45 minutes every day, your systolic blood pressure may decrease by an average of 9 points. But if you do it consistently, then can you get the benefits. If you stop swimming for 2 weeks, you can lose the benefits.
DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) Eating Plan
DASH (high blood pressure diet) is healthy eating plan to helps to lower your blood pressure and keeps your heart healthy. In this plan, does not require any special foods.
- Eat more vegetables, fruits and whole grains.
- Include fat-free or low-fat dairy products, fish, chicken, beans, nuts, and healthy vegetable oils.
- Limit foods high in saturated fat, such as fatty meat, full-fat dairy products, coconut oil, and palm oil.
- Limit sugary drinks and sweets.
Based on these recommendations, the table below shows the suggested daily and weekly food servings for a 2,000-calorie diet according to the DASH eating plan.
Food |
Daily Servings |
| Grains | 6–8 |
| Meats, poultry, and fish | 6 or less |
| Vegetables | 4–5 |
| Fruit | 4–5 |
| Low-fat or fat-free dairy products | 2–3 |
| Fats and oils | 2–3 |
| Sodium | 2,300 mg* |
| Weekly Servings | |
| Nuts, seeds, dry beans, and peas | 4–5 |
| Sweets | 5 or less |
1 serving = one recommended portion of a food |
|
FAQs
Can high blood pressure exercise help lower high blood pressure to a normal level?
Yes, high blood pressure exercise can help lower high blood pressure to a normal level in many people, especially when combined with a healthy diet, weight management and other healthy lifestyle habits.
Can a healthy high blood pressure diet help control high blood pressure?
Yes, a healthy diet can help control high blood pressure. the DASH diet, that is rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins and low-fat dairy while limiting salt, saturated fat, and added sugar can help lower blood pressure. In some people, a healthy diet may help bring blood pressure back to normal levels also.
Can I stop taking blood pressure medication after my blood pressure returns to normal with exercise and a healthy diet?
Not always. If your blood pressure becomes normal with regular exercise and a healthy diet, don’t stop taking your medication on your own. Talk to your doctor first. If your blood pressure stays normal for some time, your doctor may reduce the dose or stop the medication.
Stopping blood pressure medicine without medical advice can cause your blood pressure to rise again and increase the risk of heart attack, stroke, or kidney disease.
References
HONOR HEALTH – High Blood Pressure Exercises
National Heart Lung and Blood Institute – High Blood Pressure Diet
Conclusion
High blood pressure exercise and a high blood pressure diet also play a crucial role in controlling high blood pressure. If you follow the 6 important exercises and the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet, which is a healthy eating plan, you can lower high blood pressure and improve heart health.
If you follow these 6 exercises regularly, you can lower your blood pressure, such as walk 10 minutes three times daily, cycle for 30 minutes a day or 10 minutes, 3 times a day, walking uphill, walking on a treadmill or Using a pedal exerciser while sitting, muscle strengthening exercises and swimming.