HOW TO LOWER YOUR BLOOD PRESSURE NATURALLY

Part 22 :  Relaxation

It's all very well saying you should relax and take things easy when you have high blood pressure and not so easy to do.

In some ways the more you try to relax the less relaxed you feel.

If you like to keep busy then active relaxation with exercise and fun activities might be the way to go.  On the other hand if that sounds too much like hard work you could try a few relaxation exercises.

The relaxation technique which is most widely known and recommended is progressive muscle relaxation or PMR. To do this:-

1. Lie down comfortably on the floor with a pillow to support your head.
2. Close your eyes and take three deep breaths.
3. Start to tense each muscle group in turn, holding for a few seconds and then releasing, breathing normally as you tense and release. Enjoy the sensation as you let go of the tension in each area of your body. Work through your muscles in the following order:-
   
   toes and feet
   calves
   buttocks and thighs
   stomach and abdomen
   hands arms
   neck and shoulders
   face and forehead

Another common technique focuses on your breathing. Studies have shown that blood pressure decreases when you follow a paced breathing exercise. To have a go:-

1. Lie down on your back in a comfortable position.
2. Inhale deeply through your nose for a count of 4 and allow you abdomen and rib cage to extend.
3. Slowly exhale through your mouth through a count of 6 and allow your rib cage and abdomen to contract again.
4. Continue as long as you can working up to 5 to 10 minutes. Feel yourself calm down as you concentrate on your breathing.

If you prefer you can also do this breathing exercise while walking, inhaling for four paces and exhaling for six.This will give you double the benefit in terms of lowering your blood pressure – exercise and relaxation in one fell swoop!

The link to the next part of this course will arrive in your email inbox in 3 days. If you have arrived at this page without an email subscription and would like to receive all 30 parts of this course you can subscribe for FREE using the form on the top left of the page. Alternatively if you would like to download the whole course as an ebook so that you can read it and print it out immediately you can do so for just $9.95 - you'll also receive a special bonus (worth $14.95). See Lower Blood Pressure Ebook offer for details.