While there is no exact cause of hypertension (or so the doctors say), several lifestyle factors have been found to raise blood pressure. In the tradition of making Top Ten lists at the end of the year, here’s my very own Top Ten Ways to Get Hypertension.
10.) Getting stressed out. Taking on much more than you can handle at work can give you a lot of unnecessary stress that sticks with you long after you leave the office. Stress has been found to cause several ailments, hypertension among them. Take it easy and work at your own pace, tackling the harder chunks of work earlier on in the day.
9.) Worrying too much. Anxiety has also been found to cause spikes in blood pressure. Some experts claim that making worrying a habit can cause as much damage as chronic hypertension. Some common anxiety remedies, such as meditation, Yoga, or massage, may help you cool down.
8.) Eating the wrong things. Whether or not you’re overweight, and whether or not you exercise regularly, taking in a lot of the bad stuff can cause your blood pressure to rise. By “bad stuff,” I’m talking about cholesterol, trans fats, and salt. For starters, the guidelines set by the new food guide pyramid should help you, and your blood pressure, get back on track.
7.) Lack of exercise. Most of us spend our days sitting down, whether at work, at school, or at work. Lack of exercise can lead to obesity, which is thought to be a leading cause of hypertension. Get up and walk the last few minutes to work, use the stairs instead of the elevator, and play a sport during the weekends.
6.) Being overweight. This is the brainchild of the previous two ways to get hypertension. Inadequate eating and exercising habits will force your heart to deal with all that extra weight. A healthy eating and exercise regimen should gradually help you ease into your ideal weight (and blood pressure).
5.) Too much caffeine. Many of us depend coffee to keep us on track for the rest of the day. Caffeine has been found to cause a temporary rise in blood pressure, which becomes more sustained the more caffeine we take in one day. Stick to two cups (24oz.) of caffeinated coffee a day, and you’ll be fine.
4.) Binge drinking. Anxiety and stress tempt many of us to escape from reality with some alcohol. Binge drinking constricts blood vessels and can cause a 10% spike in your blood pressure. Sorry, but if you suffer from hypertension, you’ll need to limit yourself to a glass of wine or a can of beer a day to stay on the safe side.
3.) Smoking. Each cigarette you smoke causes your blood pressure to spike by 5-10 mm Hg. The nicotine also reduces the amount of oxygen in the blood, causing your heart to work overtime to keep the body’s cells healthy. Kicking this bad habit will manifest in numerous health benefits within minutes.
2.) Not getting enough sleep. People who get less than six hours of sleep are twice more likely to suffer from hypertension than those who get more than six hours. If you don’t get enough rest, the heart works harder to compensate for the lower energy levels. If you snooze for less than six hours a day, see if you can take midday catnaps—these have been found to lower the risk of heart disease.
And the number one way to get hypertension?
1.) Not working my hypertension program. I’m not kidding—I’ve asked many of my clients to do all the tips I’ve illustrated in the first nine items, but it wasn’t until they tried the simple exercises in my hypertension program that their blood pressure went down to ideal levels—and stayed there.
If you’d like to give it a try (and I do guarantee that it works every single time), the link to my hypertension program can be found on the upper-right hand side of this website.
Warm Regards,
Christian Goodman
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