6 Exercises to Reduce Hypertension
According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), 75 million Americans suffer from hypertension. That’s 29% of our adult population or about 1 out of every 3 adults. Those numbers give pretty good odds that plenty of Dynamic truck drivers are dealing with hypertension, otherwise known as high blood pressure. While high blood pressure among American adults is common, it can often be misunderstood or ignored.
Let’s change that by reducing hypertension while on the road.
What is hypertension?
Hypertension is a condition when the force of blood against the artery walls is too strong. The concern is that if hypertension goes untreated or is not prevented, it can lead to heart disease or stroke. Heart disease is the number one cause of death for Americans; stroke is the third greatest.
Think of it like adding a couple of extra pounds of air to your tires in the morning before you head down the road. There’s no outward strain, nothing that looks abnormal. But as the friction builds during the drive and that air expands, it runs out of room in the inner tube. Boom! You have a blowout.
How do you know if you have hypertension?
Hypertension doesn’t have outward signs or symptoms. Some people might experience headaches, nosebleeds, or shortness of breath as direct symptoms of high blood pressure but only once their blood pressure has reached dangerously high levels.
There are risk factors you can be aware of:
Sleep apnea
Overweight
Lack of exercise
Eating too much salt
Stress
Back to the tire example. Keeping annual check-ups with your doctor is of the same importance as a pre-trip check. These checks are the best way to monitor any changes in the equipment and note any wear and tear on the model as it ages.
How can high blood pressure be prevented and treated?
Hypertension can creep up over the years and eventually affects most people. Exercise is the best way to keep high blood pressure at bay, and there are easy ways for a trucker workout to happen.
1.Walking or jogging
Cardiovascular exercise is the best way to strengthen the heart muscle and bring down blood pressure.
2.Strength training
This allows you to exercise while sitting and requires little exercise equipment for drivers to carry. Pick up some inexpensive hand weights or use a couple of gallon jugs of water.
3.Stretching
This is another great way to exercise while sitting and is possible to do while driving.
4.Breathing exercises
Meditation and deep breathing are great for lowering high blood pressure and reducing stress.
5.Yoga
An all-around exercise that joins breathing, stretching, and ability to increase cardio intensity, yoga is a practical exercise for inside the truck.
6.High-Intensity Interval Training
Not for the faint of heart, HIIT training is short bursts of high output (15 seconds to 4 minutes) separated by short recovery periods between the bursts.