Find Out How Blood Pressure Changes Depending on Your Position Now!

While high cholesterol is genetic for about 1 in 200 people in the United States (Familial Hypercholesterolemia), several studies say it is more often the result of poor habits.

A study that compared two groups: transit drivers (who sit for most of their shift), and conductors or security guards (who don’t sit for most of their shift), found that even if their diets & lifestyles were very similar, those who sat for long were about twice as likely to get heart disease as those who stood.

Similarly, a Harvard University study following over 70,000 women found that those who sat for longer (more than 10 hours a day) had a greater chance (almost a 65%) of having heart attack or stroke than those who sat less.

This is because humans are built to stand upright, scientists say and living a sedentary lifestyle can be dangerous to ones’ health. The less sitting or lying down you do during the day, the better your chances for living a healthy life.

Scientists also say that sitting also raises your risk of diabetes and high cholesterol, which all play a role in the condition.

Working in an office? Here’s what to do

No, you don’t have to quit your job. If you use a computer at work, once in a while work while standing up.

Also, the National Health Service (NHS) recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercises weekly for all adults (18 years up).

Moderate-intensity exercises are simply those that use large muscle groups of the body (i.e. arms, shoulders and legs).

Depending on your schedule, this can be split up to three 50-minute moderate-intensity exercises weekly, or 21.4 minutes moderate-intensity daily.

If you don’t know where to begin, check out these 9 Easy Exercises for a Healthy Heart.

Better Food Choices, Too

Healthier daily dietary choices are also critical in keeping your blood pressure reading, on the healthy side.

For example, salt can impact your blood pressure in two very different ways: an adequate amount of it helps to maintain healthy blood pressure (which can be beneficial for those with low blood pressure), but too much of it can lead to having high blood pressure.

This is where mindful eating can play a positive role.

Healthy Habits Tip: If you are able to keep control over your blood pressure with more sensible lifestyle swaps—including eating clean & sweating it out a couple of times a week; you will be able to prevent, delay or eradicate the need for statin medication at all without the use of statin drugs. Also, according to the Journal of Clinical Nutrition, consuming Ceylon (Sri Lanka) cinnamon every day may be good for heart health—especially in people with hypertension.

Read more about how the cinnamic acid from Ceylon cinnamon supplements can help manage blood pressure here