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Welcome …

Nearly 1 in 3 adults suffer from high blood

pressure.

While eating healthy and reducing your sodium

intake are great ways to lower your blood

pressure, exercise is a crucial step to fight

hypertension.

The American Heart Association recommends

“People with high blood pressure and high

cholesterol perform an average of 40 minutes of

moderate to vigorous-intensity workouts three to

four days each week”

Here are 5 of the best exercises to lower your

blood pressure...

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1. Swimming

Swimming is a great form of low impact cardio

that's accessible to most seniors and easy on your

joints.

Even if you can’t swim, walking in water or doing

water aerobics is also a fantastic way to improve

co-ordination and muscle tone.

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A study published by The American Journal of

Cardiology found that swimming reduced systolic

blood pressure by an average of 9 points in 60

year olds who engaged in swimming 3-4 times per

week over 3 weeks.

Safety Tip: Make sure you are confident in water

and don’t exert yourself. If looking into water

aerobics, ensure your trainer is qualified. Some

councils run water aerobic classes for seniors

which is a great way to also meet new friends.

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2. Brisk Walking / Jogging

There’s nothing better than a brisk walk first thing

in the morning to wake you up and get you ready

for the day ahead.

It’s one of the main reasons why dog owners have

improved fitness.

Walking is one of the most natural movements for

humans and we know that 10 000 steps a day

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helps to prevent diabetes and cardiovascular

disease.

Safety Tip: Start off with a moderate walk for 15

minutes before attempting to jog and don’t forget

to stretch for 5 minutes before and after to

prevent injuries. Ensure that you have good

quality shoes for better support.

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3. Cycling

Light to moderate cycling is also a powerful way

to lower your blood pressure.

Depending on your speed and incline (going up

hills) you can do twice as much exercise in half the

amount of time of brisk walking.

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You don’t have to spend a lot of money on

expensive bikes either, investing in a stationary

bike will allow you to gain the same benefits

whilst staying at home.

Safety Tip: Think safety at all times! Be aware of

your environment and make sure you wear

protective gear with reflective elements especially

if cycling at night. Keeping hydrated is also

important so make sure you drink plenty of water

(or have a bottle of water handy). Always ensure

you follow local road rules when cycling on roads

and cycle with a buddy when exploring off-road

areas.

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4. Slow Skipping

Remember when you used to skip at school

with friends?

It didn’t seem like exercise did it? Skipping is

another form of cardiovascular exercise that

is fantastic for lowering blood pressure.

Safety Tip: Make sure that you wear

supportive shoes and don’t attempt this if you

have excessively high blood pressure or if you

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suffer from joint pain or arthritis. Ladies,

investing in a good quality, firm support bra is

also essential to prevent breast tenderness

and sagging.

When skipping, start off slow and gradually

increase your speed to improve your co-

ordination and breathing efficiency whilst

burning some major calories.

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5. Tennis

Tennis is a fantastic sport that encourages fast

bursts of speed and movement.

Great if you’re looking for a new social outlet, the

short cycles of high intensity are almost like

interval training.

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Other racquet sports such as badminton and ping

pong are also fantastic for cardiovascular disease

as well as reflex training.

Safety Tip: Warming up and stretching is

incredibly important before you start a game.

Like other high impact activities, ensure you

support your joints carefully and take rest breaks

if you feel dizzy. There are now tennis

associations for seniors that modify traditional

rules to ensure that the health and safety of

players is of utmost importance.

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