Now that you have lost weight, reduced your daily intake of salt, moderated your alcohol intake and are managing the stress/emotions in your life; Rob Woodgate’s (Rob is the co-founder of the hypnotension programme) 5 th tip to avoid high blood pressure is to exercise or as i prefer to call it; be more active.
Being physically active is one of the most important things you can do to prevent or control high blood pressure. So much so that one researcher of healthy aging has called exercise the ‘closest thing to the fountain of youth’.
Exercise keeps your blood vessels healthy, which improves blood circulation, and it also eats up blood sugars, lowering the risk of diabetes and helping you lose excess weight.
It can also mop up ‘stress hormones’ such as cortisol, and increases the level of endorphins, which are your body’s ‘feel-good’ chemicals.
This not only has a positive effect on lowering blood pressure but also helps your sleep, mood and energy levels.
It doesn’t take a lot of effort to become physically active. All you need is 30 minutes of moderate-level physical activity on three or more days of the week. Examples of moderate activities are brisk walking, cycling, gardening and housework.
Even office bound people can find ways to build up to moderate activity levels. Parking a few streets away from the office, taking the stairs instead of the lift, and taking a brisk lunchtime stroll are all great ways to build up your activity levels without changing your routines too much.
Studies have shown that people who exercise, on average, live significantly longer than those who don’t, and one study showed that the onset of initial disability in people who exercised was 16 years later than those who didn’t.
Having high blood pressure can leave you feeling uncertain and worried about your future. Making these lifestyle changes can help put you back control and can make a real difference.
Just remember to praise yourself for each positive step you take towards lowering your blood pressure and accept that you’ll make slip-ups along the way. Go easy on yourself, learn from your mistakes, and then move on.
If you lack the desire or motivation for exercise we may be able to help.



