Exercise is one of the most effective natural ways to lower high blood pressure. The human body is made to be active, and sedentary lifestyle leads to hypertension and other health problems. In today’s hectic lifestyle, not everyone finds time to join a gym and workout. Walking is a simple and effective exercise that most people can do at anytime and anywhere. If you don’t exercise already, remember that it’s never too late to start working out.
Here are a few ways in which walking helps to reduce high blood pressure:
Walking is an effective form of cardiovascular exercise: The main purpose of brisk walk is to increase our heart rate. The ideal heart rate depends on your age and should be anywhere between 110 to 120 beats per minute. Thirty minutes of brisk walk everyday strengthens your heart, arteries and lungs.
A stronger heart needs less effort to pump more blood and this decreases the force exerted on your arteries, thereby lowering your blood pressure. If you maintain a healthy cardiovascular system, you will be less likely to suffer from high blood pressure.
Moreover, the effects of cardiovascular exercises like these are long lasting and can reduce high blood pressure for as many as 24 hours. Walking regularly can lower your high blood pressure by four to nine points.
Walking is a low impact exercise: Unlike running, walking does not exert stress on the ankle, knees and the tendons of the foot. This makes walking an ideal form of exercise even for those people who are overweight and not used to exercising.
Walking is a stress buster: Stress is one big factor that contributes to high blood pressure. When you are happy, endorphins are released by your body. These chemicals nullify the effects of adrenaline that is released by stress. Adrenalin makes your body enter into fight or fight mode and this can cause high blood pressure. Exercises like walking also release endorphins and lower stress levels, which in turn helps to keep the blood pressure under control.
Walking assists in weight loss: Waking raises the metabolic rate, making it easier for your body to convert food into energy. Higher metabolic rate also helps to burn more fat in your body, thereby speeding up the process of weight loss. Being obese or overweight increases the risk of high blood pressure while losing excess weight is a great way to reduce hypertension.
Walking does not need you to have any special equipment except for a comfortable pair of shoes. Moreover, it is as kind of exercise that does not require you to concentrate much. You can always listen to music or chat with your friends while you walk.
However, you should take certain precautions like consulting a doctor before starting your exercise routine. It is also recommended to start off slow and take a brisk walk for just about 15 minutes a day until you build endurance. Once you have adjusted and are used to your walking routine, you can slowly increase the time.
All these benefits make walking effective, safe and simplest way to lower high blood pressure.