Source: pinkvilla.com
High blood pressure, unfortunately, is quite prevalent worldwide. Did you know one in three Indians has this health condition? This hardly comes as surprise as the intake of processed food and sedentary life is on the rise. And these two are the common causes why our BP readings are increasing. For the unversed, in this condition, the pressure of blood against the walls of arteries is higher than normal. The same can lead to life-threatening diseases related to heart, kidney, eyes and brain among others.
Aside from medication, one should go for lifestyle changes which can bring down BP readings naturally. Reducing intake of salt, increasing the consumption of potassium-rich foods, indulging in some of the physical activity, reducing alcohol intake and smoking are some of the ways to combat hypertension.
30-Minute morning workout
Coming to physical activity, as per new research which was published in the American Heart Association’s journal, 30 minutes of a morning workout can help you to lower BP. The same has a positive effect on men and women who are obese. The study also revealed that women who take brief and frequent breaks from sitting throughout the day can boost the benefits of the workout even more.
The study was conducted among men and women from the age bracket of 55 to 80. Michael Wheeler, B.Sc., lead author of the study who is a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Western Australia in Perth and works at the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute in Melbourne, Australia, “Traditionally, the health effects of exercise and sedentary behaviour have been studied separately. We conducted this study because we wanted to know whether there is a combined effect of these behaviours on blood pressure.”
The study was conducted on 67 participants and the studies were deduced when they were in different scenarios. The same was conducted in a controlled laboratory environment and the participates had standardized meals. Their BP and adrenaline levels were checked repeatedly.
The researchers found that average blood pressure, especially the systolic one was reduced among both men and women who did morning exercise compared to those who didn’t. A significant reduction in the average systolic blood pressure especially in women was seen when they combined morning exercise with frequent breaks from sitting throughout the day.
Wheeler added, “For both men and women, the magnitude of reduction in average systolic blood pressure following exercise and breaks in sitting, approached what might be expected from antihypertensive medication in this population to reduce the risk of death from heart disease and stroke. However, this reduction was greater for women.”
Wheeler also added that breaks from sitting for long hours also benefitted people who had a higher risk of cardiovascular disease. He added, “We wanted to focus on the novel aspect of combining exercise with breaks in sitting. However, it means that we cannot say for sure that breaks in sitting alone had no blood pressure-lowering effect in men, as any effect could have been masked by the preceding effect of exercise.”