It’s frustrating. You’re eating healthier. Taking supplements to fill in any gaps. And you’re even making an effort to move more.
But those numbers on the blood pressure cuff REFUSE to budge.
Your doctor is insisting it’s time to turn to drugs. But, you don’t want to battle the potential side effects from dizziness to diarrhea.
Even worse, it seems every week now we’re hearing about another BP drug recall because of contamination with carcinogens.
Trading high blood pressure for cancer ISN’T an option. But you can’t ignore the problem either. After all, hypertension is a killer too.
Well, I’ve got some good news. Researchers have uncovered a way to make a significant dent in your blood pressure.
It’s not a drug. It doesn’t require a strict new diet. And you won’t have to exercise until you drop.
Heck, this solution isn’t even new. In fact, this hypertension hero is LITERALLY ancient.
Powerful “no sweat” team tames hypertension
It turns out a combo of yoga and deep breathing could help lower your BP right back into the healthy zone.
And, according to a new study, this dream team even BEATS traditional aerobic exercise for reducing blood pressure.
Now I know what you’re thinking. But, don’t worry. You aren’t going to have to light incense, chant mantras, or do any other weird stuff like that.
Instead, you’ll just be borrowing some of the super-effective “fit & flex” moves of this ancient form of exercise. Plus, doing some of the deep-breathing techniques that go along with them.
Think “systolic” to slash stroke risk
Now if you’re battling hypertension you probably already know a bit about blood pressure. You have a top, or systolic, number. And you have a bottom, or diastolic, number.
Both numbers are important, of course. But if you’re over 50, it’s critical to keep your eye on the top number. It’s the one that’s most connected to your risk for a heart attack or stroke.
And it turns out that TOP number is precisely that one that the “fit & flex” combo targets.
Down 11 points with the “fit & flex” combo
The new meta-analysis crunched the numbers from 49 different trials. And it included data from over 3,500 folks with anywhere from borderline high blood pressure to full-blown hypertension.
And what the University of Connecticut researchers uncovered was beyond impressive.
Yoga reduced systolic blood pressures by an average of five to six points. And for many folks that move alone is enough to stay off of drugs.
But when they looked at folks who were doing yoga and deep breathing (or relaxation) exercises the results blew everyone away.
Just three times a week of the combo sent top numbers plummeting by an incredible ELEVEN points on average.
In other words, yoga and deep breathing work as well as prescription meds without any side effects.
Beat high blood pressure WITHOUT drugs
Now if you aren’t all that fit or flexible right now, don’t panic. If you have no clue what “deep breathing” ACTUALLY means, no worries. And if you don’t know your downward dog from your dolphin pose, it’s okay, you can relax.
You have a few good options when it comes to fitting yoga into your daily routine.
If you like the companionship of working out in a group, you can check in your area for a yoga for beginners’ class. Your local YMCA is a great place to start. Look for classes that mention being senior-friendly or that are designed for folks with mobility issues.
More of a solitary soul when it comes to exercise? No problem, you can do yoga in the comfort of your own home. Start by searching YouTube for free videos. Look for “chair yoga” or “senior yoga” for a variety of step-by-step videos to get you started.
Breathe your way to BETTER blood pressure
Your “fit & flex” yoga poses will INCLUDE deep breathing. But to get even more blood-pressure-lowering benefits try to fit in a few extra deep-breathing sessions throughout the week.
An easy one to do almost anywhere is 4-7-8 breathing. Blow all the air out of your lungs through your mouth. Inhale through your nose for a count of four. Hold your breath for a count of seven. Exhale through your mouth for a count of eight. Then repeat the steps three more times.
Leave frustration and hypertension behind by adopting this combo TODAY.
She is an advocate of self-education and is passionate about the power of group knowledge sharing, like the kind found right here on HealthierTalk.com. Alice loves to share her views on holistic and natural healing as well as her, sometimes contentious, thoughts on the profit-driven inner workings of traditional medicine.
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