Blood pressure(BP) is a measurement of the force of blood pushing against the walls of your arteries and is reported mm of mercury (Hg) by two numbers: Systolic BP/ diastolic BP. A good, or normal, resting blood pressure is below 120/80. High blood pressure against the arterial walls and over period of time, can damage your body’s organs and lead to serious health problems. In fact, chronic hypertension is a leading risk factor for cardiovascular disease, renal failure, stroke and even death. It has been reported that every filth individual in Chennai is hypertensive. It is a “silent disease. In 0ther words, individuals do not usually have symptoms of high blood pressure. Therefore, it is wise to know your numbers.
Hypertension can be treated by prescribed medications, diet modifications and exercise, but why not prevent it from occurring?
You can take action to prevent high blood pressure by:
- Reducing sodium (salt) intake–most adults should have less than one teaspoon, or 1500 milligrams, of sodium a day;
- Maintaining a healthy weight;
- Moderation of alcohol comsumpation; and
- Being active- the NH recommends regular aerobic physical activity such as brisk walkintg at least 30 minutes per day, most days of the week. If you are using heart rate to determine your training intensity, use a range of 70 to 80% of your age-predicted max (220 bpm minus age). Or, you can simply use a subjective rating of your perceived exertion “somewhat hard” to “hard”.
Ask your trainer to help you devise an exercise routine that is right for you. Remember…
…an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!
