It's important to regularly check your health numbers. One of the most important is your blood pressure. You should check your blood pressure at least twice a year! Blood pressure is a measure of the pressure or force of blood against the walls of the arteries, expressed as a ratio in millimetres of mercury, or mm Hg. The top number (systolic) represents the pressure when the heart contracts and pushes blood out, while the bottom number (diastolic) is the lowest pressure when the heart relaxes between beats.
Normal blood pressure is 120/80. Blood pressure that is consistently more than 140/90 mm Hg is considered high.
If your blood pressure is high there are some things you can do to help. Eat a balanced diet, reduce salt and alcohol intake, be physically active and avoid smoking to help lower blood pressure. Maintain a healthy weight — even a small reduction in weight, as little as 10 per cent, can dramatically decrease the chances of having a stroke or heart attack. Also, set aside some time every day to relax. Stress can cause blood pressure to rise in the short-term.
Another quick method to check your health is calculate your BMI. You BMI is calculated using your height and weight to determine if you are at a healthy weight. Check the table to see where you fit
Now, BMI has some limits. It doesn't account for muscle mass. A male athlete would likely fall into the overweight or obese category because this table does not account for the fact that muscle weights more than fat. So take this information with caution.
No comments:
Post a Comment