World Hypertension Day 2020: Why yoga is a must for managing prehypertension

Prehypertension is a warning sign of high blood pressure, which can lead to fatal diseases. Experts say practising yoga daily can help in controlling the condition. As we mark the World Hypertension Day today, we bring to you the best yoga asanas for lowering your blood pressure.

Billions of people all over the globe are living with hypertension, also known as high blood pressure (HBP), which is one of the major causes of premature death. World Hypertension Day is observed every year on 17th May in order to create mass awareness about this condition.

Hypertension is a condition in which the blood pressure in the arteries is persistently elevated. The normal range of the blood pressure is 120/80 mm Hg. High blood pressure occurs when the reading is greater than or equal to 140/90 mm Hg. Stage 1 hypertension or prehypertension is when the systolic (top number) reading is 120 mmHg-139 mmHg and the diastolic (bottom number) reading is 80 mmHg-89 mmHg. It is a warning sign that you may get high blood pressure in the future.

People with prehypertension are more likely to develop high cholesterol, obesity, and diabetes all of which are risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Experts say practising yoga daily can help people with prehypertension in controlling their blood pressure. As we mark the World Hypertension Day today, we bring to you the best yoga asanas that can help you manage prehypertension.

How yoga benefits people with prehypertension

Doctors usually recommend people with prehypertension to make a few lifestyle adjustments for lowering their blood pressure. These include losing weight, regular exercise, eating a healthy diet, and quitting smoking.

A study suggested that a combination of all three components of yoga (asanas, pranayama, and meditation) could help prevent borderline high blood pressure from becoming full-blown hypertension. It found that practicing yoga for an hour a day for three months help people with prehypertension lower both their average diastolic and arterial pressure.

The study, presented at the Cardiological Society of India's annual conference a few years back, concluded that adopting a daily yoga habit could protect people with prehypertension from the damaging effects of high blood pressure. Both prehypertension and high blood pressure can increase your risk of heart attack, stroke and heart failure.

Best yoga asanas for managing prehypertension

Experts believe that yoga help calm the sympathetic nervous system, which plays a role in regulating blood pressure. Here are three best yoga poses for managing prehypertension:

Shishuasana (Child Pose)

This yoga pose will help relieve stress and fatigue, besides normalizing blood circulation. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to perform this pose -

• Kneel on the floor keeping your toes together and your knees hip-width apart. Place your palms on top of your thighs.
• Now exhale, as you lower your torso between your knees. Slowly extend your arms alongside your torso with your palms facing down. Relax your shoulders toward the ground. Hold this pose for as long you can.

Paschimottanasana (Seated Forward Bend Pose)

This pose helps reduce fatty deposits in the abdominal region and aid weight loss. It is also effective in relieving stress and normalizing high blood pressure.

Step-by-Step Instructions

• Sit on the floor with your legs straight in front of you.
• Inhale, and keeping the front torso long, lean forward from the hip joints. Hold the sides of the feet with your hands. If you're not able to do this, loop a strap around the foot soles, and hold the strap firmly. Make sure your elbows are straight, not bent.
• Stay in the pose anywhere from 1 to 3 minutes.

Sukhasana (Easy Pose)

This pose calms and unites the body and mind, thus helping reduce high blood pressure.

• Sit and stretch your legs out in front of your torso on the floor.
• Now bend your knees and fold the legs in toward your torso. As you do it, cross your shins, widen your knees, and slip each foot beneath the opposite knee.
• Pressing your hands against the floor, lift your sitting bones slightly off the support. Hang there for a few breaths, then slowly lower your sit bones lightly back to the support.
• You can sit in this position for any length of time. You can alternate the cross of the legs.