Yoga for Hypertension: A Gentle Way to Heal
1 in 3 American adults suffers from hypertension. That's about 108 million people or about 45.6% of the adult population in the US! Hypertension increases the risk of heart disease and stroke, the first and fifth leading cause of death in the country.
Hypertension: The Silent
Killer
Hypertension is called “the silent killer,” because it has no obvious symptoms. Unless you’re getting yourself checked on a regular basis, you’ll never know that you suffer from this condition at all. It’s a dangerous disease because the elevated pressure within the arteries causes the heart to work harder to circulate blood all over the body.
When the heart works harder, the pressure within the arterial wall surges. Over time, this leads to the hardening of the arteries, a condition called atherosclerosis, as well as heart failure, aneurysm, and stroke.
Unfortunately, the disease is so common that at least one person you know - a friend, a family member, or a colleague - has high blood pressure. And once you have it, you’ll need to monitor your blood pressure and take medication for the rest of your life.
Healthy
Healing with Yoga
Yoga promotes healthy healing from hypertension by lowering the blood pressure. The practice is all about enhancing one’s mindfulness to promote a deep sense of calmness and inner peace. When you’re stressed out, the blood pressure surges. And if stress is left unchecked, you’re likely to develop hypertension over time.
Stress
Yoga is incredibly relaxing, it alleviates stress while strengthening the muscles. Managing stress and keeping fit minimize your risk of hypertension and heart disease.
Poor Lifestyle
Choices
Poor dietary choices, such as eating foods that are high in salt or drinking alcohol excessively, could lead to hypertension. Making better lifestyle choices plays central role when you practice yoga. Practicing mindfulness makes you realize that how you nourish yourself affects your mood, your perception, your body, and your health.
Sleep deprivation due to anxiety and poor lifestyle choices could also lead to high blood pressure. Yoga helps alleviate anxiety and promotes better sleep. Yoga, being a healthy practice, complements other physical activities that promote better health like exercising.
Obesity is one of the leading causes of hypertension. When you’re not watching what you eat, all the organs in the body are affected, more so the heart. And when the heart is working too hard to circulate the blood all over the body, the veins and arteries are subjected to excessive pressure.
Obesity
It’s only a matter of time before obesity leads to high blood pressure. If obesity runs in the family, it’s best to improve your eating habits early on. It’s possible to avoid hypertension completely as long as 1) you are sticking to a healthy diet and 2) you are working out regularly.
Genetics
While there’s not much you can do about hypertension if it runs in the family, there’s a chance that you can delay its effects if you practice yoga early on. Making better lifestyle choices, along with managing stress, will definitely help in reducing the risk of hypertension - despite your family’s history with the disease.
Kidney disease, diabetes, sleep apnea, hyperthyroidism, pregnancy, and other disorders could increase your risk of hypertension. Practicing yoga may decrease your risk of hypertension by keeping the blood pressure low. Some yoga poses could also strengthen various muscle groups that could minimize the effects of certain disorders.
Certain Disorders
For example, keeping fit while being pregnant or while living with diabetes may prevent high blood pressure.
IMPORTANT: Although practicing yoga is linked to lower blood pressure and reduces the risk of complications related to the disease, you have to check with your doctor before trying any type of physical activity. Also, you have to talk to your yoga teacher to ensure that all the poses you'll do in class are safe for people living with hypertension.
While yoga won’t cure hypertension, it can lower blood pressure and delay the effects of high blood pressure. It alleviates stress caused by mood or mental disorders and works as a gentle workout for anyone who’s afflicted with this condition.
There’s no need to leave the privacy of your home for yoga classes! Sign up for my yoga class online and start healing from hypertension in your own home.