Stress has been identified as a risk factor in individuals with high blood pressure. To prevent or reduce high blood pressure, health professionals recommend that you consume a healthy diet and get regular exercise at least 30 minutes a day. While stress may be inevitable at work, you can reduce its effects on your health by finding time to work out in a worker friendly gym in Sydney CBD.
The science of stress
When you are stressed, your body responds by producing stress hormones that prepare your body for fight or flight. Among other things, stress hormones cause a rise in your blood pressure by causing your heart to beat faster and your blood vessels to become narrow. Your blood pressure subsides when your body no longer experiences stress.
Daily pressures coming from work and personal relationships may cause your body to maintain constant levels of stress hormones. This can be harmful to your body as the continuous presence of stress hormones in your blood stream can cause damage to your arteries, leading to heart disease. Stress is also linked to depression and anxiety disorders making it imperative for anyone who experiences stress regularly to take steps to reduce it.
Benefits of exercise
* Lowers blood pressure
There are many ways to reduce stress. Exercise is one such option that not only keeps you in good health but is also a natural stress buster.† Studies show that exercise can actually lower your systolic blood pressure (which is the top number of your blood pressure) by as much as 5 to 10 mm of mercury (mm/Hg), which is the same benefit that some blood pressure medications provide. For some people, getting enough exercise may reduce their need for blood pressure medication.
* Maintains healthy weight
Being overweight is also a risk factor in high blood pressure. Regular exercise helps you maintain a healthy weight and control your blood pressure. Regular exercise, however, entails a commitment to work out most days of the week for at least a month or more before it can have an impact on your blood pressure. Finding a gym in Sydney CBD where you can work out during your free time is one way you can squeeze in regular exercise into your schedule.
* Creates sense of well being
Exercise reduces stress by releasing feel good brain chemicals called endorphins which provide a sense of relief after a good workout. This is also why exercise is prescribed for those who suffer from depression and mood disorders.† Exercise also increases your self confidence and contributes a sense of well being that helps you deal with challenges at work.
You need not spend long hours in the gym everyday to reap the benefits of exercise. By using a quality gym in Sydney CBD you will have good facilities for moderate aerobic exercises such as jogging, walking, stair climbing, spinning and dancing which help reduce stress.
