When it becomes chronic, high blood pressure, a.k.a. hypertension, can lead to serious health risks such as heart disease, stroke, and other serious health complications. Luckily, in addition to taking medication (just be wary of these possibly harmful supplements!), there are a few simple habits you can implement into your daily life in order to help lower blood pressure levels. In fact, experts say that lowering your blood pressure can be as simple as fitting 30 minutes of exercising into your morning routine each day.
To learn more about how exercising each morning can help prevent and treat hypertension, we checked with nutritionist and dietitian Susan Schachter, founder of 120/Life. She told us that there are a number of benefits at hand, from weight loss to lower stress levels. Find all of her expert insight below!
READ MORE: The Scary Sign You May Be Suffering From High Blood Pressure, According To Doctors
How exercising daily can reduce blood pressure
"One thing I recommend doing daily to promote healthy blood pressure is to engage in regular physical activity, such as brisk walking or cycling, for at least 30 minutes per day," Schachter tells us.
There are numerous benefits to getting up and moving each day, especially if you want to lower your blood pressure. Let's dive into a few ways exercise can help treat and prevent hypertension below.
Promote weight loss and heart health
Weight gain, obesity, and poor heart health are other major risk factors when it comes to hypertension. It's no secret, though, that staying physically active is a great way to manage your weight and keep your heart health in check.
"Regular physical activity can also help to promote weight loss and overall cardiovascular health, which are important factors in maintaining healthy blood pressure," Schachter confirms.
Reduce stress and anxiety
Did you know that high stress levels can cause a decline in more than just your mental and emotional health? As it turns out, if you're too stressed, this can contribute to a number of health issues, including higher blood pressure—but exercise can help with that, too.
"Physical activity can also help reduce stress and anxiety, contributing to high blood pressure and other health problems," Schachter says.
You can find some of the best ways to reduce stress (and, in turn, your blood pressure) here.
Improve health and function of blood vessels
Schachter tells us that one of the main reasons exercise can help prevent hypertension is the fact that it can improve the health of your blood vessels, "making them more flexible and better able to dilate in response to changes in blood flow. This, she says, "reduces the amount of pressure that the blood exerts on the walls of the blood vessels." It doesn't get much simpler and more direct than that when it comes to promoting lower blood pressure!
Reduce inflammation and oxidative stress
In addition to the health and function of your blood vessels, another issue that can impact your blood pressure levels is inflammation and oxidative stress. Luckily, Schachter points out that getting some exercise each day can help keep this to a minimum, as well.
"Exercise can help to reduce inflammation and oxidative stress, which are known to contribute to the development of high blood pressure and other cardiovascular diseases," she says. "By reducing inflammation and oxidative stress, exercise can help to protect the blood vessels and reduce the risk of damage to the heart and other organs."
Making changes to your diet is another good way to reduce inflammation; here are a few great anti-inflammatory ingredients.
The bottom line
Many factors can contribute to high blood pressure; if you're experiencing hypertension, your best option is always to speak to your doctor to come up with a plan that works for you and your body. However, managing your weight and heart health and reducing stress and inflammation are all important steps to take. Luckily, exercising is one effective method to hit all of those marks.
Find some of the best exercises for managing blood pressure here.
