If you’re 40 or older, there’s a good chance your blood pressure is higher than normal. About half of adults aged 40 and up have high blood pressure. Maybe you manage it by living a healthy lifestyle and cutting back on salt, or perhaps you’re already taking medication to lower it. Regardless, we all need to take steps to keep our blood pressure in the normal range. Why? Because high blood pressure is a “silent killer.” It can quietly damage your heart, brain, and kidneys, potentially leading to early death without any warning signs. Thankfully, there are ways to lower it, and physical activity, including dancing, is one of them. Yes, it’s a fact! Dancing isn’t just for parties or TikTok videos. Dancing can help lower your blood pressure and improve your health!
What is normal blood pressure?
Generally, 120/80 mm Hg or lower is considered normal blood pressure.
If your blood pressure falls within this range, it means your heart is efficiently pumping blood, and your blood vessels are healthy. Keeping it in this range helps reduce the risk of heart disease, strokes, and other health issues related to high blood pressure.
What is high blood pressure or hypertension?
Blood pressure refers to the force of blood pushing against the walls of your arteries. When it’s consistently too high, it can lead to serious health problems like heart disease, kidney damage, and stroke.
Unfortunately, high blood pressure or hypertension often causes no noticeable symptoms, which is why it’s called the “silent killer.” You might not even know you have it until it starts causing damage. That’s why it’s extremely important to check your blood pressure regularly and keep it under control.
What causes high blood pressure?
While there is no single cause of high blood pressure, many factors can lead to it. Here is a breakdown:
1. Unhealthy Lifestyle Choices: Eating too much salt, not exercising, carrying excess weight, drinking too much alcohol, smoking, etc.
2. Genetics and Family History: High blood pressure can run in families. Also, as you age, your blood pressure tends to increase because your blood vessels get stiffer over time.
3. Stress: Being constantly stressed can lead to higher blood pressure.
4. Medical Conditions: Some medical conditions, such as kidney disease, hormone imbalance, and sleep apnea, can raise your blood pressure.
5. Medications: Certain medications can cause high blood pressure as a side effect.
How often should you check your BP?
This depends on your health situation, but here are some general guidelines:
1. If your BP has been normal so far – Once a year during routine checkups is usually enough.
2. If you have risk factors for high blood pressure, such as being overweight, family history, smoking, etc., – about every 6 months.
3. If you’ve been diagnosed with high blood pressure – check your BP more often, possibly daily or a few times a week, at least, until you get your BP under control.
Regularly checking your blood pressure will help you catch high blood pressure earlier, manage it, or treat it before it causes complications.
What steps can you take to lower your BP?
The steps you can take to lower your BP directly relate directly to the factors above that put you at risk. In most cases, a combination of lifestyle factors and genetics leads to high blood pressure. Therefore, making healthy choices, like eating a balanced diet, staying active, not smoking, limiting alcohol, and managing stress, is very important to keep your blood pressure in check.
Remember, genetics is also a big part that we cannot change as much as we’d like. So, even after you take these steps, your BP may still be high. If your BP is high, whether you are maintaining a healthy lifestyle or not, please see your doctor. They can prescribe you medications to help you lower your blood pressure!
How Does Dancing Help Reduce Blood Pressure?
Physical activity is one of the most effective ways to lower blood pressure, and that’s where dancing comes in. Dancing helps reduce blood pressure in several ways by combining physical activity with stress relief and fun.
Although this number varies, studies show that dancing can lower systolic blood pressure (top number) by 9–16 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure (bottom number) by 3–5 mmHg.
How long will it take for dancing to lower your blood pressure?
It takes about 1 to 3 months for regular exercise to have an impact on your blood pressure. Unfortunately, the benefits last only as long as you continue to exercise. So, remember, consistency is key. Even if you don’t see results immediately, keep going because, eventually, you will.
Also, dancing alone without practicing a healthy lifestyle will not keep your BP controlled. Additionally, if you have been prescribed medications for high blood pressure, dancing alone will not lower your blood pressure. You must combine all these things and work with your doctor to control your blood pressure.
Your blood pressure is normal, so why should you dance?
Great question! Although dancing and other forms of physical activity can help lower your blood pressure, it has several other benefits. Some other benefits are – better weight management, stronger bones and muscles, improved flexibility, better sleep, lower stress, better social connections, and many more. For more on how dancing benefits your health, check out “Dance Your Heart Out.”
Final thoughts
Fact! Dancing can help lower your blood pressure.
The bottom line? High blood pressure isn’t something to mess around with, but that doesn’t mean fighting it has to be dull. Dancing is a fun, heart-friendly way to lower your blood pressure, and if you’re not into dancing, there are plenty of other natural (and medical) ways to keep your blood pressure in a healthy range.
So, you think you can’t dance? Or do you mean you would rather not dance in front of others? If that is you, no problem. Lock yourself in your bedroom and dance your heart out, reminding yourself that you are lowering your blood pressure, nurturing your heart, and reducing stress. What more motivation do you need to get up now and start dancing?
Finally, if you haven’t checked your blood pressure in a while, why not do so today? If it’s higher than normal, practice a healthy lifestyle and see your doctor. Remember, high blood pressure is a silent killer, but you and your doctor have the power to control it!
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Yours in health, fitness, and wellness,
Doctor Abi
