As we age, as humans tend to forget about our physical requirements and its health. You cross the age of 35, and you think of having a whole body checkup. The reports arrive the next day, and the number against blood pressure is baffling since it’s above the normal range. It’s equally perplexing since you didn’t have any illness or discomfort in the recent past.
If this high blood pressure or hypertension is left untreated, it can cause serious diseases later. It is likely to increase as the person’s age increases. The present time rating for high blood pressure is 130 over 80. What is interesting is that yoga for high blood pressure can safely and effectively control the elevated levels and reduce your hypertension.
According to the American Heart Association (AHA), the latest statistics reveal that about 103 million American adults have high blood pressure which is almost 50% of the U.S. adult population.
Hypertension is an ailment in which the pressure of the blood is substantially high causing it to push against the blood vessels. Hypertension makes the heart forcibly push blood all around the body and hence, hypertension, or high blood pressure can cause heart failures, hardening of the arteries, and other fatal illnesses of that sort.
Quite strikingly, more than 100 million US citizens suffer from high blood pressure(1), and this fact is alarming. The main reason behind this is poor eating habits and lack of exercises. So, if you wish to lead a healthy life and get rid of those high numbers in the BP measuring machine, you can start taking regular yoga sessions.
A yoga session at least two-three times a week has proven benefits over blood pressure. Yoga for hypertension/ high blood pressure can miraculously help you in –
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High blood pressure or hypertension is a ‘silent killer,’ and it’s about time that we take it seriously. With so many people already under the radar, you need to be cautious while choosing your day-to-day habits to ensure that you have a healthy heart for a healthy life. Yoga, as discussed above, has proven benefits for the ones suffering from high blood pressure. So, here are the top 10 poses of yoga exercise for high blood pressure which you need to practice to keep heart risks at bay! Let’s have a look:
You can also refer to this asana as thunderbolt pose. The best part about this asana is that you can do it anytime, before or after the meal. Vajrasana helps in reducing the muscle tension which reduces the high blood pressure. Apart from keeping your heart at peace, this asana will also help you in keeping obesity away by increasing the blood flow to your lower abdomen.
Apart from keeping your heart rate normal, this asana will relieve stress and fatigue. Also, child pose will normalize blood circulation throughout your body, thereby making you energized. It is one of the easiest forms of asana. It acts as a resting pose and hence, you can do it after every yoga asana pose.
Although it seems to be easy to master, you will need a lot of practice to do this asana right. Lying down without any movement isn’t easy. But once you can do it correctly, you will see how miraculously it will relieve you from any stress or tension. It will help you to get a sound sleep at night and hence, will keep all heart risks away!
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This asana is one of the best poses to normalize high blood pressure, and it will also help in keeping your abdominal fat at bay! This asana will help you in losing weight and hence, there will be lesser risk of heart-related ailments.
This asana will help you in stimulating your nervous system along with your heart. And quite naturally, your blood pressure will become normal, leaving you stress-free.
This asana is one of the most loved by yoga practitioners. It will help you in calming your mind, relieving all your worries, and you will be free from irritation. Doing this every alternate day will gift you with a joyful life, without the struggles of high blood pressure.
This asana will help you with weight loss, and hence, your blood pressure will remain normal. It will help in massaging your abdominal muscles to reduce your tummy fat. So, with this, along with a toned body, you will be able to keep your heart in a good working condition!
Badhakonasana or better known as butterfly pose is one of the most amazing yoga poses for high blood pressure. By doing this, you will have no stress and tension in your mind! This asana will effectively regulate your blood pressure and blood circulation all over your body.
This asana will energize your kidneys and soothe your overall nervous system. It will also regulate your blood pressure and keep your heart rate normal.
Apart from making your heart work normally by improvising blood circulation, this amazing asana will strengthen your leg muscles. It even helps in toning the leg muscles. So by doing this asana regularly, you will be able to gain perfectly toned legs in no time!
Don’t worry if you think it’s tough for you to master all these asanas listed above. With regular supervision and practice, you can master these asanas in no time! These asanas have amazing health benefits and are proven solutions for high blood pressure(2).
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Now, although it’s been said time and again that yoga to reduce blood pressure works wonders, there are certain things that you need to keep in mind. You need to be aware of the yoga asanas that you must avoid if you are suffering from high blood pressure. Here are some of them:
In these positions, your head will stay below your heart. So, the blood rushes down to your head causing abnormal heart rates and discomfort.
For some people, this pose might not be that risky; however, if you try this pose, you should do it under proper guidance and supervision of an expert. Here, again, in this asana, your head will be bent lower, which is a big no for people suffering from hypertension.
These yoga poses are too vigorous and can easily uplift your heart rate. Due to this reason, these poses are a strict no for anyone having high blood pressure.
Downward dog pose can still be followed by you even if you have hypertension, only if you can keep the level of your head aligned with that of your heart. Also, while doing seated forward fold poses, make sure that your head is upright and not facing downwards.
To sum it, the pros of yoga poses for high blood pressure easily outweigh the cons. Meditative, calming, and yin yoga sessions can be a boon for you if you are suffering from hypertension. However, you should always have a professional yoga instructor around to ensure that you are doing the asanas correctly.
And although you cannot mend your hypertension with yoga, you can at least keep the risks associated with the same at a distance. With regular yoga and a balanced lifestyle that includes good eating habits, you can very well kick out not only hypertension but a lot of other ailments.
So, what are you waiting for? Don’t you think it’s time for you to embrace yoga for good? It can be just another step to becoming the best version of you! Well, you can thank us later!