Walking can really lower blood pressure! Come on and get moving!

Walking, as a low-intensity aerobic exercise, has multiple benefits for the cardiovascular system.

When we take a walk, the major muscle groups in the body participate in the movement, which promotes blood circulation and increases the delivery of oxygen and the removal of carbon dioxide.

This physiological activity helps to relax the brain and reduce the tension of the sympathetic nervous system, thus reducing the possibility of blood vessel constriction and blood pressure elevation.

How does walking lower blood pressure?

Walking helps lower blood pressure through the following mechanisms:

The blood pressure-lowering effect of walking

Studies have shown that for people with normal blood pressure, a leisurely walk can reduce systolic blood pressure by 3 - 5 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure by 2 - 4 mmHg. For patients with mild hypertension, the reduction in blood pressure after walking is more noticeable. In addition, for those whose blood pressure increases due to mental stress or emotional agitation, their blood pressure can be reduced by 10 - 20 mmHg after walking for 20 minutes.

How to make walking more effective?

The blood pressure-lowering effect of walking does not depend on the distance walked but on the frequency and continuity of walking. A study by Indiana State University found that taking four 10-minute walks during the day has a more lasting blood pressure-lowering effect than taking a single 40-minute walk. Therefore, patients with hypertension can choose to take short walks several times a day.

Skills and suggestions for walking

Daily management for patients with hypertension

In addition to walking, patients with hypertension should also pay attention to the following points:

Limit salt intake. The daily salt intake for adults should be no more than 6 grams. Pay attention to a balanced diet, eat more yin-nourishing foods and aquatic foods, such as celery, reed rhizome, wild rice stem and lotus root, and quit smoking and limit alcohol consumption.

Weight loss should be gradual. Usually, it is advisable to lose 0.5 - 1.0 kg per week and reduce 5% - 10% of the original body weight within 6 months to 1 year.

Avoid getting angry violently and being depressed. Create a good psychological environment, cultivate a healthy social and psychological state, and correct and treat abnormal psychological states.

Good sleep helps lower blood pressure. Those with poor sleep should seek help from doctors. They can take hypnotic or sleep-aiding drugs under the guidance of doctors to improve sleep quality.

Avoid using drugs without permission. Take medications, measure blood pressure as instructed by doctors, and go to the hospital for regular reexaminations. Do not increase or decrease the dosage without permission.