Lately, I have suffered from severe headaches, fatigue, and chest pain. I ignored them because I thought it was because of too much work in the office. After a few days, I noticed that there was blood in my urine. I started to struggle to breathe, and my heartbeat seemed not normal. I decided to go to my doctor, and I was diagnosed with advanced hypertension. I was not surprised because my parent also has the same condition.

Instead of being afraid of the situation, I just followed what my physicians told me to do. I took his prescription, stayed hydrated, and took enough rest. After a few days, my blood pressure became normal. But I did not stop there. I began changing my diet and tried to be physically active. Yes, I started shedding some pounds, and I guess my weight is one reason my blood pressure went up.

For those who have hypertension, I understand what you are going through right now. But instead of getting yourself locked in your room, go out, surround yourself with people, and hit the gym. When looking for exercises that may lower your high blood pressure and promote heart health, you have come to the right place! Below, I gather some workout routines I follow. You could also include any of them in your lifestyle! However, consult an expert before anything else!

Aerobic Exercise

There are many types of workout to choose from, but aerobic exercise is one of my favorites. Unlike the others, it focuses on cardiovascular conditioning. It improves circulation, leading to lowered blood pressure and improved heart rate, according to experts. It increases our overall aerobic fitness and cardiac output. Aerobic exercise is also found to minimize the risk of type 2 diabetes. If you already have diabetes, any aerobic-related workout may help control your blood glucose.

Popular options include:

–Running. A study found that runners have at least 29% or 50% lower cardiovascular mortality risks than non-runners.

–Walking. According to Health Harvard, walking reduces any heart-related events by 31%. “The people who walked longer distances enjoyed the greatest health protection.”

–Swimming. Research has confirmed that 30 minutes of swimming every day can prevent coronary heart disease by 40%.

–Cycling. Cycle commuters have a 52% lower risk of dying from heart disease, experts say.

–Jumping rope. “Regular use of a jumping rope is good for the heart,” says Peter Schuman, MD, associate professor at the University of Connecticut Health Center.

Resistance Training 

Another exercise that I perform every week is resistance training. As the name implies, this workout routine uses resistance to muscular contraction developed to build anaerobic endurance, strength, and size of muscles. Like aerobic exercise, resistance training provides both mental and physical health benefits. Specifically, it can improve/tone muscle, maintain flexibility. Increase muscle-to-fat ratio, reduce cognitive decline, guarantee stamina, improve posture, and more.

While there are various ways to try resistance training, here are what I enjoy:

–Suspension equipment. This is a training tool that employs gravity and your body weight to complete different exercises. But be careful when looking for suspension equipment.

–Free weights. Kettlebells, dumbbells, barbells, and other classic resistance training tools are used.

–Weight machines. These are devices available with adjustable seats. They also come with handles to ensure a stress-free and convenient experience.

–Resistance bands. When stretched, these strength training accessories provide resistance, which is good for our legs, arms, shoulders, core, and other parts of the body.

Balance, Flexibility, and Stretching

Flexibility workouts are a perfect addition to your exercise routines. As the name indicates, flexibility exercise benefits our musculoskeletal health, making us flexible. It also protects us from muscular issues, including joint pain and cramping. Although it targets our musculoskeletal health, it also contributes to our heart health in some ways.

Of course, you want some intensity when exercising. So, you would choose aerobic and strength training exercises right away. But pause and prepare yourself. Flexibility activities can come to your rescue. When performed accordingly, this exercise would help you achieve a good musculoskeletal foundation, reducing severe injuries and enabling you to perform intense physical activity over time.

Popular stretching exercises include cobra stretch, knees-to-chest, spinal twist, upper back stretch, neck stretch, shoulder stretch, etc. You can incorporate these exercises into your preliminary workout. That way, you can be confident the risks of any injury are minimized.