In recent years, due to the increase in life pressure and changes in eating habits, more and more friends have begun to suffer from high blood pressure. Symptoms such as headache and dizziness caused by high blood pressure have led many people to misunderstand that "once you suffer from high blood pressure, exercise is a luxury".
However, this notion is actually abandoning an effective weapon against high blood pressure.
According to the Chinese Health Management Standards for Hypertension, moderate-intensity exercise lasting 30 minutes or more three or more times a week can help reduce systolic blood pressure (i.e., high pressure) by 5 to 17 mm Hg, while diastolic blood pressure (i.e., low blood pressure) can also be reduced by 2 to 10 mm Hg.
Recently, internationally renowned journals have revealed several "optimal antihypertensive exercises".
Studies have found that long-term exercises such as squatting against the wall are the best exercises to lower blood pressure
On July 16, 2023, researchers from the University of Canterbury in the United Kingdom published a new study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, in which they found that while all types of exercise can help lower resting systolic and diastolic blood pressure, isometric exercise has the most significant reduction effect.
Isometric movements, which are movements in which muscles only increase tension without changing their length when contracted. In this state of movement, the load on the muscles is greater than or equal to its own contraction force, and its main function is to maintain various postures and positions of the human body.
In daily life, squats against the wall, planks, and zama steps are all common isometric exercises.
The essentials of a wall squat are to sit with your back against the wall, your legs down at a 90-degree angle, and your hands crossed over your chest while keeping your core tense. If you want to make it less difficult, keep the angle between the thigh and calf between 90 and 120 degrees.
Planks require you to lie on your stomach with your toes firmly on your toes and your arms straight to support your upper body, tightening your core and keeping your entire torso in a straight line. If you find it difficult, you can do a plank in a kneeling position with your knees on the ground, keeping your arms straight and your core tight.
Zama steps require attention to spreading the toes and knees outward during the squat to reduce the pressure on the knees and avoid injury.
It is important to note that patients who have been diagnosed with hypertension should always measure their blood pressure before exercising, and should not exercise if their blood pressure is too high (systolic blood pressure over 160 mm Hg or diastolic blood pressure over 105 mm Hg).
Not only does it help lower blood pressure, but there are many benefits to squatting every day
Among the above-mentioned isometric exercises, from the perspective of antihypertensive effects, squatting against the wall may be the most effective isometric exercise, and squatting once a day has many benefits.
1. Reduce the dangers of sitting for long periods of time
Squatting after sitting for a long time can effectively move the joints, help the lower back muscles to relax, and then improve personal balance.
2. Good for heart health
The squat movement has many benefits for human health. When people take a squatting position, this action helps to promote the smooth flow of qi and blood, so that the blood flow in the heart and lungs becomes relatively sufficient. This action can not only alleviate the condition of arteriosclerosis, but also effectively reduce blood lipid levels.
More importantly, squatting can also reduce the incidence of cardiovascular diseases such as coronary heart disease and stroke to a certain extent. At the same time, the range of motion of the chest and lungs is increased when squatting, which helps to improve cardiopulmonary function and improve overall health.
3. Helps to lose weight and shape up
Squats are an ideal way to lose weight, as they can effectively burn fat, especially in areas such as the waist, hips, abdomen and legs.
By performing targeted squats, you can not only improve the stability of the knee joint, but also improve the muscle strength of the lower limbs, which can further improve speed, explosiveness and endurance. At the same time, squats also help to shape beautiful thighs and buttocks.
4. Helps lubricate joints
The squat position, formed by folding the lower limbs at regular intervals, is a very beneficial stretching exercise for the tissues around the joints.
5. Promotes blood circulation
The lower limbs and feet can be described as the source of the body's essence and the reserve of qi and blood. The more strength we have in our lower limbs, the more energetic our hearts become. Only when the blood circulation of the lower limbs is smooth can the blood from the distal limbs return to the heart, so as to ensure the smooth flow of qi and blood throughout the body.
Exercise to lower blood pressure, keep these 4 points in mind
1. Warm up well before exercising
Before exercising, it is necessary to warm up the body, which can promote the circulation of muscle blood through a series of actions such as stretching the upper limbs, bending the waist back and forth, rotating the waist and squatting and standing up, so that the body can quickly enter the state of exercise.
In this way, injuries that may arise during exercise can be effectively prevented. No matter how good your physical condition is on a regular day, this warm-up session is indispensable.
2. It is best to choose the afternoon or evening for exercise
Between 6 and 10 a.m. is the time when cardiovascular disease is at its highest, so it is recommended to avoid exercise, while the afternoon or evening is the best time to do it.
3. Don't hold your breath and stop during exercise
Avoid breath-holding behavior, and do not stop and start exercising abruptly, especially when you get up suddenly, as this can trigger a sharp drop in blood pressure, leading to dizziness and even falls. If you feel unwell, such as dizziness, you should stop exercising immediately. During exercise, it is necessary to pay attention to the reasonable arrangement of rest time.
Some people may hold their breath unconsciously when doing isometric or resistance exercises, or their blood pressure may be unstable due to excessive exercise. For patients with high blood pressure, it is recommended to choose the appropriate exercise method according to their own situation after consulting a doctor.
4. These conditions are not suitable for exercise
We do not recommend exercise for patients with uncontrolled severe hypertension, hypertensive crisis, or rapidly progressive hypertension who have comorbid conditions such as unstable angina, heart failure, severe arrhythmias, and retinopathy. Patients should prioritize efforts to stabilize and control their condition and follow their doctor's instructions closely.