There are two different measurements involved in measuring blood pressure, systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP). SBP is the highest pressure on the vessel walls immediately after one single heartbeat, and DBP is the lowest pressure on the walls immediately before. Hypertension is defined as having an SBP of at least 140 mmHg, and/or a DBP of 90 mmHg.

Causes and Implications of Hypertension

Hypertension is problematic because it makes the heart to do extra work when pumping blood throughout the body. It is associated with obesity, high sodium intake, low potassium intake, physical inactivity, heavy alcohol consumption, and psychosocial stress. The accumulation of intra-abdominal visceral fat, which is fat located inside the body around organs instead of right beneath the skin, also plays a role in the development of the disease. Hypertension also promotes the presence of coronary calcium, which is a potential predictor of sudden death. Furthermore, it is associated with some changes in the brain, such as impaired cognitive function; it may lead to retinopathy, a degenerative disease in the eye; and it can cause nephropathy, a disease of the kidney.

How May Exercise Reduce Hypertension?

Put simply, regular exercise can make the heart stronger, enabling it to pump blood with less effort. Exercise training can lower cardiac output (the amount of blood being pumped through the heart) and peripheral vascular resistance (the resistance of the flow that must be overcome to push flow through the circulatory system) at rest, and at any given level of work. Exercise can also decrease visceral fat and central fat deposition, rather than just body weight, which will reduce blood pressure in most people. Specifically, aerobic exercise will decrease resting SBP and DBP. Even exercises of moderate intensity can induce these beneficial changes.  Exercise training may even reduce or eliminate the need for antihypertensive medications in patients with mild or severe hypertension.

Exercise Guidelines

The typical blood pressure response to acute bouts of aerobic exercise is a gradual increase in SBP and gradual decrease or no change in DBP. The recommendations for exercise for those with mild hypertension are generally the same as those for healthy adults. Endurance or aerobic exercises three to five days per week for 20 to 60 minutes, at the intensity of 60 to 85 per cent of maximum heart rate. However for those with severe hypertension of markedly elevated blood pressure, the intensity should be lowered to about 50 to 70 per cent of maximum heart rate. Weight training usually results in increased SBP and an associated increase in DBP during the exercise bout. However, there is a smaller increase in heart rate compared to aerobic exercise. The blood pressure response between individuals contains great amounts of variability. Therefore, a person should exercise cautiously when performing any type of weight lifting. Interestingly, circuit training has been shown to result in a modest drop in DBP and no change in SBP. Finally, for any person with hypertension, lifestyle modification including diet, weight loss, and exercise is required to help manage the disease.  Be sure to contact your doctor before starting an exercise program.

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A workout partner can be anyone, but it’s especially beneficial if they are working towards a similar goal. If you and your spouse both want to lose 20 pounds, or even just want to commit to a healthier lifestyle, they’ll make a great partner. If you have a regular coffee date with a friend who is also interested in upping their activity level, try making it a gym date instead. Working out is a great way to spend time with someone, as long as you remember to stay focused on exercising instead of chatting by the water fountain.

Having a workout partner can be like having a personal trainer. They can help you get the most out of your workout by acting as a “spotter,” and making sure you perform your repetitions safely and with full effort. Your partner will soon get to know your good and bad habits and recognize when you are not pushing yourself to your normal limits. When you are increasing your repetitions and a bit unsure of your ability, a spotter will also help you finish safely by stepping in if you can’t continue. They’ll motivate you to finish the set, and push you a little bit harder than you would push yourself.

Of course, the relationship should be mutual. If your partner provides you with good motivation and support, you need to do the same. You must also be respectful of your workout partner. Be sure that you are always punctual for your workouts and if you can not make an appointment, give your partner 24 hours notice as you would any other professional.

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When you were in high school you were the ultimate athlete. You played on sports teams, you hit the gym, and you spent summers playing volleyball on the beach. You couldn’t imagine a future where you weren’t active, but that’s where you are now.

Now you’re nearing 40. You’ve raised a family and established a career, and it’s your body that has made sacrifices. You’ve neglected your physical health, and as a result you’ve gained weight, you feel tired and your energy levels are low. You may have become deconditioned. You feel like a completely different person than you did 10 or 20 years ago, but it doesn’t have to stay that way.

Deconditioning is a side effect of inactivity. To determine if you have become deconditioned, take a close look at your habits and your body’s capabilities. Say you want to go skiing this winter but don’t think your body can handle it. That means you are probably deconditioned. The same is true if you get injured every time you are active, if you don’t recover well from injury, if you become short of breath from climbing a flight of stairs, or if you have gained more than five pounds over several consecutive years.

Does this sound like you? Then it’s time to get back in shape. The first step is to realize that you have to make exercise a regular part of your life. You need to commit to at least 45 minutes of exercise, three days per week to start seeing results. You also need to understand that you may initially notice a decrease in your energy level, because your heart, lungs and other organs are not strong enough to deal with the stresses of increased activity. This can be difficult to handle, because an unfit person is fatigued to begin with. If you start slowly you might be able to avoid this side effect, but that may not be the case. The good news is, as you become stronger your energy levels will actually increase with exercise rather than decrease.

After the first three to four weeks you should notice strength and energy improvements, and by six to 12 weeks you will notice a significant difference in the way you look and feel. Physical health is something many of us don’t appreciate until it is gone. The key is to make physical fitness a regular part of your life, and not to let yourself push it to the side again.

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Dr. Jordan Myers states, “…this is called the normal lordosis or lower back curve and it protects the spine. When you do crunches it flattens that out , opens the discs up in the back and increases the risk of disc injury, disc herniation. The abdometer protects that curve by supporting that part of the spine so you can actually take the pressure off the spine, off the sensitive nerves and allow you to train the abdominals far more effectively.

Check out the below link for more information on the abdometer:

http://abdometerpro.com/2012/04/02/exercise-for-lower-back-pain/

Fight the Fatigue
Cancer can drain the body of energy, which has a negative effect on quality of life. People who are living with constant fatigue often curtail activities, social and otherwise, that used to get them out of the house and around other people. A regular exercise regimen augmented with a nutrient-rich diet can help ease the severity of the fatigue and make it easier not only to get out and do things, but to actually enjoy them. From this perspective, exercise and diet are key to preventing the cancer from undermining the patient’s lifestyle.

Stay in Shape
The right exercise and diet regimen will go a long way toward giving the body the physical strength it needs to fight cancer. It doesn’t matter if the patient is dealing with mesothelioma cancer, prostate cancer or any other form of the disease. Exercise that strengthens the heart, lungs and different muscle groups, helps to strengthen the immune system, and improve the chances of successfully fighting the disease. Similarly, the right diet will provide nutrients the body needs to keep functioning at optimum levels. Simply put, fitness improves chances of getting through cancer and its aftermath with as little damage as possible.

Give Your Mind a Rest
The emotional consequences of dealing with cancer are not limited to those first few days after the diagnosis, or the weeks and months of active cancer treatments. Even survivors need outlets to help them keep the reality of cancer in perspective. Along with helping to keep the body strong, exercise triggers the release of endorphins, which help to balance mood. Rather than spending a lot of time focusing on the cancer, exercise makes it easier to balance those concerns with everything else that is going on. The end result is a better mental attitude that makes it easier to deal with treatments, follow-up doctor’s appointments, and other necessary commitments.

When it comes to the amount of physical activity and the type of diet that is right for the individual cancer patient or survivor, there are number of resources available. One excellent resource is the National Cancer Institute, which provides information from a number of reputable organizations that deal with planning meals and structuring daily exercise routines. Making a few changes in diet and exercise could make a huge difference in a patient’s physical and emotional well-being. Thus, it important important to speak with a physician about options at any point in the cancer patient or survivor’s journey.

David Haas
Cancer Alliance Guest Blogger

Dumbbells are excellent and popular workout tools, as they are used in dozens of exercises and are an effective way to work out every muscle group. You can complete a full weight-training routine with dumbbells alone. They are generally a dollar a pound, but can be less expensive if you buy them in a set.

Exercise bands are a great alternative to dumbbells. You can do many of the same resistance exercises, you can build your strength, and there is the added bonus of portability. An exercise band set ranges in price from $10 to $40.

Medicine Balls are weighted balls, approximately 14 inches in diameter and usually between one and 25 pounds. They are a great way strength train, particularly for your core. In addition, using a medicine ball is a great way to combine cardiovascular and strength training, improve your coordination, and increase your range of motion. There are plenty of exercises you can do alone or with a partner, and they range in price from $10 to $70, depending on the weight.

A Stability Ball is a large, inflatable ball you can use in the place of an exercise bench to perform your exercises. Stability balls are extremely effective in increasing core strength and stability, and in improving posture, balance and flexibility. You can find a great stability ball for $30 to $50.

Body-Weight Suspension Systems have become very popular over the last 3-4years and are a great way to add variety to your home work out. TRX cables are the most popular brand; however, there are some less expensive options on the market. These systems easily attach to a doorframe or overhead beam and allow you to use some or all of your bodyweight for resistance. They are good for those just starting out and can also challenge advanced exercisers. There are exercises for your entire body and they take up minimal space. Prices start at $99.

Strength training is actually a common component of physical fitness programs for adolescents, and is common practice in sports in which size and strength are desirable. Strength training programs can improve sport performance and prevent injuries. But, it is important to make sure they, and anyone new to strength-training, are properly supervised to ensure proper form and technique.

When adolescents start a strength-training program they should begin with low-resistance exercises until proper technique is learned. When 10 to 12 repetitions can be performed with good technique it is reasonable to add weight in small increments. However, it is very important to make sure not too much weight is added at once, or there is a risk of injury. Exercises should include all of the muscle groups and be performed through the full range of motion at each joint.

Before any adolescent begins a strength-training program, it is a good idea for them to see a physician for a medical evaluation to identify any possible risk factors for injury. That being said, injuries related to skeletally immature individuals are uncommon and believed to be largely preventable by avoiding improper lifting techniques, maximal lifts and improperly supervised lifts.

If you sometimes have trouble after meals, you might like to know that lemon juice mixed in warm water is helpful with a variety of digestion problems, including nausea, heartburn, bloating, belching and parasites. Furthermore, regularly drinking lemon juice can take care of constipation problems by aiding in regular bowel movements. Lemon juice can even speed up the digestion process, as it helps the liver produce more bile.

It also helps to regulate and liquefy bile flow, which adds to the overall health of the liver. The importance of your liver function is often overlooked, but it plays an integral role in detoxifying the blood of alcohol and drugs, in maintaining energy between meals, and even in maintaining weight. The liver controls the metabolism of fat, which means it breaks fat down as your body needs it. This is why keeping your liver healthy is important for maintaining weight and helping with weight loss.

The potassium found in lemon juice is an excellent source of energy, so if you’re feeling a bit lethargic you can give your brain and nerve cells a boost with a few drops in your water. If you worry about your blood pressure, you might find also find some comfort in the potassium content; it helps to lower blood pressure, and thus is helpful for people with hypertension. The potassium also keeps dizziness and nausea from occurring, and reduces mental stress and depression. But potassium isn’t the only helpful vitamin; calcium, magnesium and vitamin C are all abundant in this citrus fruit. The calcium helps you build and maintain healthy bones, the magnesium helps to keep your blood healthy, and vitamin C increases the immunity power in your body.

It can seem like there’s no limit to the advantages of this simple drink. People with breathing difficulties, like asthma or other respiratory diseases, can benefit from the regular intake of warm water and lemon juice, as it works to clear chest congestion by loosening the accumulated mucous in the respiratory tract. If you want to fight wrinkles and blackheads, you’ll be interested in the anti-aging benefits of lemon. This juice helps to detoxify your body, which can often be seen through healthy, glowing skin. Fresh lemon also works to fight bacteria, so if you have a sore throat or tonsillitis, drinking some will help you beat your infection. Finally, lemon juice can even benefit an unborn child; it will help to build their bones when an expectant mother drinks it regularly.

Regularly drinking lemon water is one of the easiest—and tastiest—ways to look after your health. For taste, one lemon per litre is perfect; to reap the numerous benefits of lemon, make sure to squeeze the juice of the lemon into your water before enjoying.  As always, make sure to drink at least two liters of water per day to keep your system clean, and to keep your body hydrated.

A lot of people can lose weight, but not many let their new eating and exercise habits become part of their everyday life. The problem is, without making an entire lifestyle change, as soon as you halt the diet the weight starts to pile back on. That’s not to say dieting won’t work; if you have a lot of weight to lose, a diet might help to kick start weight loss and get you thinking about your health. Plus, some people need a sense of deprivation to get them to realize what they are putting into their bodies, and to feel like they are making a change. But to keep the weight off, it’s important to change the way you eat in the long-term and transform it into a new, healthy lifestyle.

It takes 21 days to form a habit, or, in this case, to break the habit of unhealthy eating. This first part is the most difficult, because you have to consciously think of what you are, or are not, eating. There are many diets out there, but the truth is we all know what healthy eating looks and feels like. Concentrate on being healthy, not following a strict regimen you read in a book.

After accomplishing your initial weight loss, you need to remind yourself that achieving and maintaining your ideal, healthy, bodyweight will be a lifetime commitment. Now you can change your thoughts about eating from depriving yourself to being healthy. Focus on eating three meals and two snacks daily, controlling your portions, and making sure to take in a lot of fibre, protein and foods rich in anti-oxidants, as well as drinking plenty of water and green or white tea. You need to achieve an overall balance, not completely avoid carbs and fats.

Healthy eating is important in maintaining a healthy weight, but it is only half the equation. Exercise is key, especially when coming off of your diet. It is unrealistic and unhealthy to meticulously count calories, but you should still actively think about what you have to do to maintain a healthy body. Exercise a minimum of three times weekly, incorporating weights into your regimen. Keep yourself challenged by increasing your weights or repetitions every three or four weeks.

The key is to start looking at healthy living as a lifestyle change, not just a short-term solution to shed some pounds. It is not going to be easy: keeping your body healthy and active will be hard work. But with determination and persistence, you will continue to reap the benefits of your efforts, and will be on the road to a healthy body for life. Your body will feel better when you are eating healthy, and your body composition will reflect this change.

Option One is for the non-athlete, for someone who wants to increase overall muscle tone without significant muscle gains. This schedule consists of three whole-body workouts weekly, preferably with at least one day between workouts. Ideally, you want to do 25 minutes of cardiovascular exercise and 35 minutes of strengthening exercises. The strengthening portion should include one exercise per major muscle group. With this system you can finish your workout in an hour. If you want to shorten your workout to 40 to 45 minutes you can perform the cardiovascular and strengthening in a circuit or interval, keeping your heart rate in your target zone the entire time. With either system you can get great results in a short period.

Option Two is the next level, for someone who has become comfortable and accustomed to Option One, or is already at an intermediate or advanced level. This option consists of three workout days. The first day includes a lower body workout, the second includes an upper body workout, and the third is a whole body workout. In this workout regimen, you are working all muscle groups twice: the lower and upper body separately, then the lower and upper body together. This workout schedule targets muscles to increase growth, and is an alternative for athletes who want to improve upon a particular muscle group. You can also add 20 to 40 minutes of cardiovascular exercise on the days between your workouts. For example, of you’re doing your strengthening routines on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, hit the treadmill on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Option Three is for someone who is a workout veteran and does not get enough from working out three times weekly. This is a four-day workout that alternates between the lower and upper body. This is a more intense routine, as it targets both your upper and lower body twice weekly. With this system you could perform upper body on Mondays and Thursdays with one heavy day and one lighter day, and then lower body on Tuesdays and Fridays. You should also add 20 to 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise to the end of each workout.

Option Four is also a four-day split, but it is a more aggressive muscle building and strengthening approach. This routine consists of four workouts weekly. The first day focuses on legs, the second on your back and biceps, the third on your chest and triceps, and the fourth on your shoulders, calves and forearms. You should also complete 10 minutes of core work at the end of each workout. Although you are only working each muscle group once weekly, this schedule is far more intense than the former three workouts.

You do not need to pressure yourself to work up to Option Four; if you are just trying to stay in shape and keep yourself challenged, do not go beyond Option One or Two. Also make sure to add a cardiovascular component to your schedule, and keep active in the days in between. No matter what level you feel comfortable at, remember to stay consistent and stick to it!