A simple tool such as a spring-loaded hand exerciser might have the potential to lower your blood pressure. This inexpensive treatment option can be used at home, in your car and even in your office. You can slip it into your purse or briefcase to be used at any time of the day in an attempt to lower your blood pressure.
Blood Pressure
Doctors consider normal blood pressure to be 120/80 and high blood pressure to be 140/90. The top number is systolic blood pressure and the bottom number is diastolic blood pressure. The top correlates to the pressure of blood as your heart contracts and the bottom as your heart relaxes.
Handgrip Training Tools
Holding the handgrip exerciser in one hand, you squeeze to engage you hand, wrist and forearm. Most handgrips have a large spring between two handles, and newer versions have soft handles that absorb perspiration and provide comfort for your hands. You can purchase one and alternate use between hands, or you can buy two and train both hands at the same time.
Isometric Exercises
Handgrip exercises operate on an isometric principle, meaning there is limited or no movement in the muscle as the tension increases. When you perform an isometric exercise, you limit the blood flow into the working area. This causes your blood pressure and heart rate to respond in an effort to restore the flow of blood. When your heart rate responds to the increased pressure, it adapts by pushing more blood with each pump. Over the course of training, the heart becomes more efficient even when you are not exercising.
McMaster University in Ontario, Canada, continues to study the effects of handgrip exercises on blood pressure. In 2008, it studied 49 people during eight weeks of handgrip exercising. At the end of the study, participants had a reduction in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure numbers.
Exercise Schedule
Isometric exercises are no different from traditional strength training exercises regarding familiarization. If you perform the same exercises for longer than six weeks, your body becomes familiar with them and does not respond in the same way it did at the beginning. Therefore, a suggested exercise routine for using hand grips is to train with them for six weeks, then recover for two weeks. Repeat this schedule as needed.
Time
If you are searching for an option to control blood pressure, a handgrip exercisers might fit into your budget and time allowances. Researchers at McMaster University report that 12 minutes of handgrip exercise three times per week will benefit blood pressure. Always seek the guidance of your doctor before beginning any exercise program.
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