Your exercise tip – Training and high/changing blood pressure.
As we discussed last week, blood pressure can fluctuate greatly during exercise sessions. Some people will not feel any effect, while others will struggle with lightheadedness, hot flushes and nausea. How can you reduce the risk while you train?
There are five really simple tips to help reduce any issues:
- Don’t hold your breath while exercising, it can really send your BP skyrocketing. People you hear almost screaming while exercising are not breathing well.
- Try not to hold exercises stationary while you are straining for more than a few seconds. Just like holding your breath, it can really send pressure skywards.
- If you have higher blood pressure, complete exercises unilaterally (one arm or leg at a time) to reduce the risk of pressure build up.
- Have a breather in between exercises, to let you blood pressure drop a little, and
- Break your sessions up into smaller blocks.
These tips are simple and very effective ways to help you train without having blood pressure fluctuation effects.
Your health tip – The food groups and serve sizes
This is a great guide from our government on food groups and serving sizes. If you are unsure, have a look through.
Exercise of the week
This week we are covering a basic, but effective leg muscle and balance exercise called the lunge. This is a great exercise for numerous reasons like helping with the lower body stability and balance, helping improve leg strength and stamina and helping you towards tight bum muscles. The tips are:
- Breath I on the way down and out on the way up. Move slowly and controlled at all times.
- Try to keep the shoulders square while you are moving, without leaning one side or the other.
- If you find discomfort in the knees, don’t go as low or stop.
- Have something under the knee that is soft, that you can touch, so you know it is reaching the same depth each time.
Your life tip
Your strength of mind does not necessarily come from a victory. It is more the journey that builds the resilience that makes us strong.
This week’s wise words
“Happiness is not ready made. It comes from your own actions.”
Dalai Lama
Have a great week and keep healthy in 2016. David.