| A few weeks ago I wrote a post entitled “Too Fit to Fracture” and it was recommendations on how to build bone density so that you don’t have to suffer from osteoporosis and worry about the debilitating after effects of bone fractures when you are older. I had a lot of great feedback so thought I would write about another insidious health condition so many of us will suffer from. High blood pressure. What is High Blood Pressure? High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, happens when the force of the blood pushing against the walls of your blood vessels is too high. Blood pressure is the result of two forces, the first, systolic, is the higher number as it happens as the blood pumps out of the heart into the arteries. The second force, diastolic, is a lower number and is created when the heart rests between heart beats. Why is High Blood Pressure Dangerous? When blood pressure is high for too long, it can damage the walls of your blood vessels, causing them to develop tiny tears. To fix these damaged areas, the body sends special cells that stick to the site. Over time, substances such as cholesterol and fats may build up at these damaged spots, forming plaque. As plaque slowly builds, a process called atherosclerosis, it can make the inside of the arteries narrower, further increasing blood pressure and increasing your risk of heart attack and stroke. How Can We Treat High Blood Pressure? First and foremost, if you have high blood pressure you need to make sure you are being supervised by a medical professional. But we do know that one of the best ways to lower it naturally is weight loss and exercise. And there is one type of exercise that interestingly stands out as being better than others…and no, it’s not cardio! It’s isometrics. Those exercises where you are contracting your muscles without moving any joints. You know those nasty wall sits that we make you do? Those planks? Those are the most common examples of isometrics and they just aren’t for your thighs and your core. They can actually help lower your blood pressure. A study reviewed 270 trials with 15,827 participants between 1990 and 2023, and compared the results for isometric, HIIT, aerobic exercise, dynamic resistance training and a combination of the last two forms of exercise. Their findings were that isometric exercise led to the most significant reductions in systolic and diastolic blood pressure. With one caveat…one misconception about isometric exercise is that it involves straining and holding your breath, which can raise your blood pressure. To hold an isometric or static exercise, you need to ensure you are slowly breathing in and out, especially if you have high blood pressure. Below I have posted two of our favourite isometric exercises. |
 How to do a Wall Sit:Stand with your back against a stable wall. Keep your toes facing forward and feet hip-width apart.While keeping your back against the wall, walk your feet out in front of you. Bend your knees and allow your back to slide down the wall. If you’re a beginner, try taking one step out (until your thighs are at a 45-degree angle to the floor). For a deeper sit, take two to three steps, but don’t let your knees extend past your toes.Hold your squat for five seconds or up to one minute, depending on your ability and how much challenge you want. Make sure you feel your weight in your heels, not your toes. To get out of a wall sit, push your palms against the wall and bend forward at your hips. Or bring one foot back toward the wall and slide your body up. Once you are able to do a 60 second wall sit with the knees at a 90 degree angle, you can start to increase intensity by placing a weight on your lap!  How to do a Plank: Its important to note that a plank can always be made easier or harder, the key is to start with something that is mildly challenging and progress from there. Start with your hands on an elevated counter top, a bench or the floor.Step your feet back until your body and legs are straight.Try to keep your shoulders over your wrists and your body in a straight line.Hold for 10 up to 120 seconds.If you find your wrists hurt then hold your plank on your forearms as this will put less pressure on your wrists and as a bonus, you will feel your core more in this position. Once you are able to hold your plank on the floor for at least a minute, up to two minutes, then you can start to add challenge by lifting on arm and/or one leg, or add a weighted medicine ball to your back. |
Check out our tutorial videos on HOW to Plank and then HOW to Bring Your Plank to the Next Level!
