Hypertension, a very specific cardiovascular condition linked to stress, is a major health problem in the United States — affecting more than 65 million individuals each year. Hypertension is correlated to cardiovascular disease risk and increased mortality in more severe cases.

Medications for hypertension can be costly, and, while treating for hypertension, can have potentially harmful side effects on the body themselves. For example, many patients with hypertension are given beta blockers, which allow the heart to beat slower and reduce blood pressure. However, this reduced heart beat and cardiac output can hurt your exercise performance (Sorace, Mahady, & Brignola, 2009).

Luckily, according to a report from the National Strength and Conditioning Association’s “Strength and Conditioning Journal” (Sorace, Mahady, & Brignola, 2009), there is a natural way to alleviate hypertension: resistance training.

As you may know, resistance training consists of any form of exercise that uses resistance to force the muscles to contract. In general, any form of weight training is resistance training. Here’s why resistance training is believed to help:

Benefits of Resistance Training on Hypertension

One of the key contributors to hypertension is increased blood pressure. An ample body of research suggests that a prolonged resistance training program can help lower blood pressure by improving cardiac output, vascular remodeling (e.g., left ventricular hypertrophy; thicker myocardial wall), and reducing sympathetic nervous system activity.

The benefits of resistance training in hypertension can be seen in both short- and long-term cases, as well as in resting, low-intensity, and high-intensity exercise intervals.

Recommendations

A consistent resistance training program may be just the ticket you need to prevent hypertension or help alleviate this physical stress marker. The American College of Sports Medicine (2009) provides some key recommendations for an introductory resistance training program for general cardiovascular health and weight control:

• Perform 8 to 10 exercises per session, focusing on larger muscle groups
• Perform 8 to 12 repetitions of each exercise, and  just one set of each (to the point of slight fatigue)
• Perform 2 to 3 nonconsecutive sessions per week
• Use a full range of motion for each exercise, never to the point of joint pain
• Perform movements at a moderate speed (about 6 seconds per full repetition)

In addition, The ACSM also recommends getting 30 minutes of  moderately intense cardiovascular exercise, 5 days a week, to help promote cardiovascular health.

Cautions

Never begin an exercise program without consulting your doctor if you suffer from any form of cardiovascular or stress-related physical condition. More research is needed to investigate the effects of various medications on exercise, so be sure to consult with your doctor regarding any medications you are taking. Resistance training is not a substitute for medical treatment for hypertension. While its preventative effects are well-documented, research has not yet determined if resistance training can reduce hypertension on its own.

Take 10 minutes out of your day to really focus on breathing. Breathing has been shown to reduce stress and promote full body relaxation and awareness. You can do these exercises almost anywhere, but it helps to have a quiet open space. These exercises are derived from traditional Yoga positions and many of the philosophies are the same. Below you will find a variety of simple go-to routines if you need a moment to regroup and relax, or a great substitute to a cup of coffee.

Diaphragmatic Breathing

Many people use Yoga or mediation to connect with themselves and find a rhythm with their breathing. To get started with your breathing routine, sit up straight. Try not to arch your back. In this first exercise, exhale completely through your mouth. Place your hands on your stomach, just above your waist. Breathe in slowly through your nose, pushing your hands out with your stomach. This ensures that you are breathing deeply. Imagine that you are filling your body with air from the bottom up.

Hold your breath to a count of two to five, or whatever you can handle. It is easier to hold your breath if you continue to hold out your stomach. Slowly and steadily breathe out through your mouth, feeling your hands move back in as you slowly contract your stomach, until most of the air is out. Exhalation is a little longer than inhalation.

After some practice you don’t need to use your hands to check your breathing.

You can also do the above breathing exercise lying on your back. Deep breathing exercises can help you to relax before you go to sleep for the night, or fall back asleep if you awaken in the middle of the night.

Deep breathing can also be practiced in standing, sitting in traffic, or standing in a line at the grocery store. If this exercise is challenging and you feel tense or as if you are holding your breath, simply concentrate on slowly breathing in and out. Think about your chest expansion and counting your breaths.

With the deep breathing you have just learned, the following three exercises give variety to your breathing practice. Practice one, two or all three in any combination. These exercises are all recommended by Dr. Andrew Weil, a specialist in integrative medicine.

#1 The Stimulating Breath (also called the Bellows Breath)

The Stimulating Breath is adapted from a yogic breathing technique. Its aim is to raise vital energy and increase alertness. Inhale and exhale rapidly through your nose, keeping your mouth closed but relaxed. Your breaths in and out should be equal in duration, but as short as possible. This is a noisy breathing exercise. Your goals should be three in-and-out breath cycles per second. This produces a quick movement of the diaphragm, suggesting a bellow. Breathe normally after each cycle.
Do not do for more than 15 seconds on your first try. You may become light headed if you hyperventilate.
Each time you practice the Stimulating Breath, you can increase your time by five seconds or so, until you reach a full minute. If done properly, you may feel invigorated, comparable to the heightened awareness you feel after a good workout. You should feel the effort at the back of the neck, the diaphragm, the chest and the abdomen.

#2 The 4-7-8 (or Relaxing Breath) Exercise

Sit with your back straight while learning the exercise. Place the tip of your tongue against the ridge of tissue just behind your upper front teeth, and keep it there through the entire exercise. You will be exhaling through your mouth around your tongue; try pursing your lips slightly if this seems awkward.

Exhale completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound.
Close your mouth and inhale quietly through your nose to a mental count of four.
Hold your breath for a count of seven.
Exhale completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound to a count of eight.
This is one breath. Now inhale again and repeat the cycle three more times for a total of four breaths.
Note that you always inhale quietly through your nose and exhale audibly through your mouth. The tip of your tongue stays in position the whole time. Exhalation takes twice as long as inhalation. The absolute time you spend on each phase is not important; the ratio of 4:7:8 is important. If you have trouble holding your breath, speed the exercise up but keep to the ratio of 4:7:8 for the three phases. With practice you can slow it all down and get used to inhaling and exhaling more and more deeply.

This exercise is a natural tranquilizer for the nervous system. Unlike tranquilizing drugs, which are often effective when you first take them but then lose their power over time, this exercise is subtle when you first try it but gains in power with repetition and practice. Do it at least twice a day. You cannot do it too frequently. Do not do more than four breaths at one time for the first month of practice. Later, if you wish, you can extend it to eight breaths.

#3 Breath Counting

This last exercise is more challenging and is a deceptively simple technique much used in Zen practice.

Sit in a comfortable position with the spine straight and head inclined slightly forward. Gently close your eyes and take a few deep breaths. Then let the breath come naturally without trying to influence it. Ideally it will be quiet and slow, but depth and rhythm may vary.

To begin the exercise, count “one” to yourself as you exhale.
The next time you exhale, count “two,” and so on up to “five.”
Then begin a new cycle, counting “one” on the next exhalation.
Never count higher than “five,” and count only when you exhale. You will know your attention has wandered when you find yourself up to “eight,” “12,” even “19.”

Try to do 10 minutes of this form of meditation.

Other Breathing Exercises

If you have a foam roller handy at home or at the gym, try this simple maneuver.
Lie vertically on the roller so that your head and your tailbone make contact with the roller. Take deep relaxing breaths. Open up your arms to either side and let them hang out. You can make snow angel motions to increase your stretch. Focus on chest expansion and loosening up the shoulders. If your head does not comfortably touch the roller, try tucking your chin to create more extension in your neck, or place a rolled up towel there. This stretch is especially useful for countering all the sitting people do throughout the day. Reverse those anteriorly protracted and rounded shoulders and gain better posture instantly!

Ground Meditation

Ground meditation technique is a great way to renew your focus and calm your mind. This meditation technique will leave you feeling energized when you are finished. It is a great pick-me-up in the middle of the day (and has much more staying power than a candy bar).

This type of meditation uses the imagination and visualization. To begin, close your eyes and imagine a golden thread running from the center of the Earth through your body and out to the edge of the universe.

Now, go back to the place where this golden string emerges from the top of your head. In your imagination see it traveling out past the stars, past the sun and out of our galaxy till it goes beyond the border of all space. It ends up in a great bright white light. The golden string blends with the light and is safely rooted there. It becomes one with the light.

Follow the thread back down through your head and down through the Earth’s crust, deeper and deeper, until it reaches the center of the Earth. There you see the source of Earth’s energy: a deep yellow-orange core of light. The thread merges with the light and becomes one with it. You feel pulled toward the center of the Earth and grounded.

Next notice your breathing, notice your feet planted firmly on the ground. As you emerge from your meditation, you feel fantastically energetic, clear-headed and renewed.

Walking Meditation

One of the easiest meditations to learn is a walking meditation. Walking meditation is great exercise and you get all the good things from meditation, all in one package. It is very simple to fit into any schedule and can be beneficial in even short snippets of time. Leave your dog at home when you do walking meditation, though. Trying to do both is an exercise in futility.

When you are ready, begin walking. No need to rush, just walk along at a pace you find comfortable. Notice how it feels when your feet meet the ground. Feel the breeze on your skin. Notice the smell of the air and any feelings in your body.

Some people find it helpful to listen to calm music during their walking meditation. Others prefer focusing on saying a mantra, phrase or prayer in their head. Or, just focus on body sensations. Once you are finished walking you should be feeling rest and ready to go.

Final Words

Meditation does not have to be something mysterious, done only by monks sitting on cushions in a temple in Tibet. Everyone can find a meditation technique that appeals to them. Meditation can be done at any time of the day or night, and any repetitive activity (such as raking leaves, doing the dishes, painting, etc.) can be made meditative and easily fit into daily life.

What Causes Belly Fat Build-up?

Excess belly fat is so common because many factors can contribute to this “spare tire”, “love handles”, “muffin tops”, or “pot belly” syndrome.  If all the root causes are not addressed all at the same time, then there is no way your belly fat will go away.  Here are some factors that contribute to excess belly fat:

• High calorie diet that is heavy on trans fat
  It’s no myth that eating too much can make you fat.  If you consume more energy than your body can burn, then your body stores that extra energy as fat for later use.  Researchers at Wake Forest University have also found that trans fat is a major contributor to belly fat.
• Not enough sleep or irregular sleeping patterns
  Sleep deprivation lowers the amount of leptin in your system, the chemical used for suppressing appetite.  Sleep deprivation can also lower your insulin levels, which helps regular your blood sugar.  Toying with these chemicals in your body so often by sleeping irregularly can have permanent adverse affects on your body (obesity and diabetes) .
• High stress levels
  Prolonged stress can causes our body to produce an excess of the cortisol hormone.  A small amount of these hormones are beneficial, but a large consistent amount can be detrimental to your health in many ways.  You guessed it, one of the drawbacks of cortisol is that it also contributes to belly fat.
• Lack of exercise or incorrect exercise routines
  It’s simple math.  If you consume more energy (calories) than you burn each day, that extra energy gets stored as fat cells.  Believe it or not, localized stomach workouts are actually one of the least effective workouts for burning off excess belly fat.
• Drug abuse (alcohol, cigarettes, and marijuana)
  Drugs have adverse effects on your energy levels and appetite.  After one night of binge drinking, your metabolism slows down temporarily and will not recover for two days.  Cigarette cravings often feel like hunger cravings so people misunderstand and ingest food even when they are already full.  A well-known side effect of Marijuana is its ability to promote appetite.

How to Attack These Root Causes

I will be writing a few articles to talk about some of these things in more detail later on.  For now, here are some quick suggestions:

1. Come up with a weekly school/work/life schedule that works in the following elements: 7-9 hours of sleep starting at about the same time each night, minimum 4.5 hours of exercise, grocery shopping, and cooking time.
2. Come up with a healthy eating pattern (more on this on a later article) and try to not eat trans fat.  You can also try to incorporate these natural fat burning foods into your diet. I suggest that if you don’t have time to cook, you should either shift to eating simpler meals (cereal, salad, soup, fruits, steamed vegetables, etc.) or try freezer cooking to save time and still be able to eat healthy.  In general, food cooked at home is much healthier than food purchased from restaurants.
3. Try to exercise at least 4.5 hours a week. Three times each week at the gym: spend 45 minutes on weight lifting workouts focusing on building slow-twitch muscles and spend 45 minutes doing interval training (alternating low intensity and high intensity aerobic based exercises).  Slow-twitch muscles should help you burn extra fat day-by-day.
4. Find a way to de-stress yourself.  Try scheduling a meditation or yoga session weekly.  It might also help to adopt a new regime for getting work done or find ways to improve your mood.
5. Say no to drugs.  Try to limit yourself to 3 drinks at social events.  If you are a smoker, remind yourself that feeling of hunger can just be cigarette cravings.  You really don’t have to drink or smoke to be social.  I’ve lost a total of 20 lbs. ever since I’ve stopped smoking and stopped binge drinking.
6. Take fish oil supplements to help improve your metabolism. See another post on the fish oil supplements out there.

More Help Is on the Way

I will be continuing this discussion in later posts, going into detail on which exercises to perform, which diet plan to follow and which de-stressing techniques to try.  Until then check out my post on using the ECA Stack for weight loss and stay tuned to this blog via the RSS feed!