Follow These Tips For Exercising If You Have High Blood Pressure

One of the most common causes of high blood pressure is lack of exercise. In order to keep your blood pressure under control, it is important to exercise regularly and keep yourself physically active. Regular exercise and a healthy diet which includes natural foods with less salt and sodium (to be specific) is the key to keep your blood pressure under control. High blood pressure can be a dangerous health condition since it shows no symptoms, but can lead to heart attacks and strokes if left untreated. Risk factors of high blood pressure include overweight, smoking and lack of exercise. In this article, we talk about some exercise tips which can help in controlling your blood pressure.

Exercise tips for people with high blood pressure

1. Moderate level of exercise can be helpful

People with high blood pressure need to follow the correct exercise regime in order to keep their blood pressure under control. A minimum of 30 minutes of moderate-level exercise daily can help in keeping blood pressure under control. It is important to build up on your stamina gradually and not get into extremes of exercising.

Regular exercise can help in maintaining blood pressure
Photo Credit: iStock

Also read: High Blood Pressure: 5 Worst Things You Can Do

2. Yoga

Yoga has many health benefits and has been found to be helpful for dealing with diseases like Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, knee pain, etc. Yoga can also be helpful in reducing blood pressure. Breathing exercises in yoga and meditation can help control high blood pressure.

3. Include resistance training in your routine

Strength training exercises can help in reducing blood pressure. Strength training around twice or thrice in a week can help in lowering blood pressure. Avoid lifting too heavy weights or doing exercises which require constant change of position.

Strength training is good for keeping blood pressure under control
Photo Credit: iStock

Also read: The Best Expert Recommended Diet Tips To Manage High Blood Pressure

4. Isometric exercises

Isometric exercises are a kind of strength training in which the joint angle and muscle length do not change during contraction. They are done in static positions rather than being dynamic through a range of motion. Doing isometric exercises which involve gripping a device which gives resistance (like a tennis ball) with your hand, can be helpful in reducing high blood pressure.

Other exercises, which are commonly believed to be beneficial for controlling high blood pressure are jogging, cycling, swimming, dancing, climbing stairs, active sports such as tennis or basketball, and even household chores like gardening, scrubbing the floor etc.

Swimming is an effective exercise for controlling high blood pressure
Photo Credit: iStock

Also read: Another Reason To Control Your Blood Pressure Levels: Keeps Dementia Away

Exercising regularly can help you maintain a healthy weight - which is an effective way of keeping your blood pressure under control. However, you must know that only regular exercise can help in controlling your blood pressure. It is only around 1 to 3 months that regular exercise will show an effect on your blood pressure. These benefits long for as long are regular with your exercising routine.

So, if you have high blood pressure, follow these exercise tips in order to prevent the condition from getting worse.

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.