Experts say: High blood pressure is not that scary, just five minutes of exercise a day can lower blood pressure

Author: Huang Yanhong Duan Yuechu

In today's society, high blood pressure is like a hidden killer, quietly threatening the health of 1.28 billion adults worldwide. It often has no symptoms, but can cause serious consequences such as stroke, heart disease, heart failure, and kidney damage without anyone noticing, so it is called the "silent killer." However, there is no way to deal with high blood pressure. Zhao Ruihong, a senior head nurse at Outram Community Hospital under Xinbao Community Hospital, pointed out that just 5 minutes of exercise a day can help lower blood pressure and achieve health effects.

The criterion for determining hypertension is that the blood pressure index is continuously at or above 140/90 mmHg. When hypertension is not controlled, the health risks it brings are enormous. It will cause the blood vessels to bear excessive pressure for a long time, just like an aging water pipe gradually loses its elasticity, which in turn causes the heart to need more power to pump blood, causing cardiac hypertrophy and increasing the risk of heart attack. At the same time, high blood pressure may also cause cerebral blood vessels to rupture, leading to stroke; damage the tiny blood vessels in the kidneys, affecting the kidney's filtering function and causing kidney disease; and even affect the blood vessels in the eyes, causing problems such as blurred vision. Moreover, since most patients with hypertension do not have obvious symptoms of discomfort, many people do not know that they are ill, which makes the harm of hypertension more hidden and dangerous.

The American medical journal Circulation once published a study analyzing the health data of 14,761 volunteers in five countries. The results showed that replacing long periods of sitting with 20 to 27 minutes of exercise a day can help reduce the incidence of cardiovascular disease by 28%. For those who are busy, just 5 minutes of exercise a day can also have the effect of lowering blood pressure. The exercise mentioned here is not limited to formal physical exercise, such as daily short-distance cycling and simple walking. The reason why exercise can lower blood pressure is that during exercise, the body's blood circulation will speed up, blood vessels will be dilated, and heart function can also be exercised and enhanced to a certain extent, thereby reducing blood vessel pressure and helping to stabilize blood pressure. Moreover, if the intensity of exercise can be increased, the benefits will be more significant.

In addition to daily exercise to lower blood pressure, we also have some emergency response methods when blood pressure suddenly soars. First, you can slowly inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth, which helps relieve tension, because emotional tension often causes blood pressure to rise further. Secondly, placing ice packs or cold towels on your forehead, neck or wrists can help blood vessels contract, thereby lowering blood pressure to a certain extent. However, if the blood pressure index continues to remain at 140/90mmHg or above, and symptoms such as severe headaches, chest pain, shortness of breath, blurred vision, dizziness, palpitations, etc. occur, or side effects occur after taking antihypertensive drugs, and high blood pressure occurs during pregnancy, etc., be sure to consult a doctor in time and follow professional medical advice for treatment.

In daily life, people have some misunderstandings about lowering blood pressure. For example, some people think that taking a cold shower can help relax and lower blood pressure, but this is actually a myth. Cold water causes blood vessels to constrict and may temporarily increase blood pressure instead of lowering it. On the contrary, dark chocolate contains flavonoids, which help relax and dilate blood vessels, thereby lowering blood pressure. However, dark chocolate is high in calories and sugar, so people should pay attention to controlling the amount when consuming it, ensure a balanced diet, and follow the doctor's advice to better manage blood pressure. In addition, light exercise such as walking or low-intensity stretching exercises can indeed help control blood pressure. This type of exercise can enhance heart function, benefit the heart's pumping function, reduce pressure on the arteries, and help maintain the elasticity of the arteries and improve blood flow.

Although high blood pressure is terrible, as long as we master the correct knowledge and methods, by insisting on 5 minutes of exercise every day, combined with good living habits and medical intervention when necessary, we can effectively control blood pressure, reduce the health risks it brings, and make our lives healthier and better. Let us take action from now on, use this simple five-minute exercise to protect our cardiovascular health, stay away from the troubles of high blood pressure, and enjoy a healthy and energetic life.