Blood Pressure and CholesterolThe Ultimate Prescription- Exercise LowersBlood Pressure and Improves CholesterolIs your doctor pressuring you about your blood pressure and cholesterol levels? There is an old saying, “an apple a day will keep the doctor away”. Well today it’s going to take a bit more work than just eating an apple. According to the American Heart Association, 105.2 million adults have borderline to high risk blood cholesterol levels. As well as, nearly one in three adults suffers from high blood pressure. Well, if you’re like many others, what you don’t know won’t hurt you, or you can simply get the doctor to prescribe another pill. If you take this approach, you may end up taking a lot of unnecessary pills which could ultimately conflict with one another and quite simply is just not responsible. Whether you know your blood pressure and cholesterol levels or not, high levels of either can be dangerous and if left alone can be deadly. So what is high blood pressure and cholesterol levels and why are they so bad? High blood pressure is a serious condition that can lead to many health problems such as:
How It Works There are two numbers in blood pressure. Systolic and diastolic. Systolic blood pressure is the pressure when the heart beats while pumping blood. Diastolic blood pressure is the pressure when the heart is resting between beats. A typical normal reading of blood pressure is 120/80mmHG or lower. If it is between 120/80 and 140/90, it is considered prehypertension. This basically means it is higher than normal. If it is between 140/90 or higher, then you are considered to have high blood pressure. Cholesterol: This is a waxy, fat-like substance that is found in all cells of the body. Your body needs some, to work properly, but your body will also make all the cholesterol it needs. There are two types of cholesterol. LDL (low density lipoproteins) which is sometimes referred to as “bad” cholesterol. The higher this number is the greater chance of having heart disease. The second is HDL(high density lipoproteins) which is sometimes called “good” cholesterol. The higher this number is, the lower your chance of getting heart disease. People with high blood cholesterol have a greater chance of getting heart disease. Cholesterol can build up on the walls of your arteries. As it continues to build ,the arteries narrow. This can slow or stop blood flow to the heart. The ideal cholesterol level to have is a number less than 200. Between 200-239 you are considered to have borderline high cholesterol and 240 or higher puts you in the danger zone. Does exercise really help lower high blood pressure and improve cholesterol levels? You bet it will and here’s how: Weak Heart Muscles pump little blood with lots of effort. When you exercise, you strengthen your heart so that it will pump more blood with less effort. Exercise Increases HDL levels in some people. This means a decrease in your risk for heart disease. Other heart disease risk factor such as weigh, diabetes and high blood pressure all show improvement with regular exercise. Now, many people take medication to control their high blood pressure and cholesterol. But is that the lifestyle you really want? Do you want to take a pill for all your “conditions”? If exercise isn’t currently apart of your lifestyle, you will be amazed at how it will improve your health once you start. Exercise really is the answer. The benefits of a consistent exercise program are numerous. Start today on a program that will change your life forever. Related Articles Too Old To Exercise To Return from Blood Pressure and Cholesterol to Home
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