Four Unusual Ways to Lower Blood Sugars and Blood Pressure -Plus Two More to Further Raise Your Mood) And the Very Best Exercise Proven to Lower Blood Pressure

Beyond medications and diet control, I found four easy and fun ways, plus one super enjoyable and another sucky way to lower blood sugar, lower BP, and raise mood.

The Four Unusual Ways to Lower Blood Sugar and Blood Pressure are to 1) Laugh, 2) Stretch, 3) Take a bath or shower, 4) Drink Water

These unconventional methods have a temporary effect on lowering blood pressure by relaxing muscular tension - and sugar by increasing insulin sensitivity. It's important to note that these methods are not meant to replace standard medical advice and treatments for managing high blood pressure. If you have high blood pressure, it's crucial to consult with a healthcare professional for appropriate guidance and treatment.

#1 Laughing:

Laughter is known to have various positive effects on the body, including reducing stress and promoting a sense of well-being. When you laugh, your body releases endorphins, which are natural feel-good chemicals. This can help lower stress levels, and reduced stress may positively impact blood pressure. However, the effect of laughter on blood sugar is less direct. While laughter may contribute to an improved overall mood, its impact on blood sugar levels is likely modest. It's important to note that while laughter can be a valuable part of stress management, it should not be relied upon as the sole method for managing blood sugar and blood pressure. (Note that there may be caveats and warnings with hot baths due to neuropathy. See: https://www.reliasmedia.com/articles/44068-get-in-the-hot-tub-soak-down-that-blood-sugar)

#2 Stretching:

Stretching, mainly through activities like yoga or gentle stretching exercises, can promote relaxation and improve flexibility. Relaxation techniques, including testing, can help reduce stress and its associated impact on blood pressure. Regular physical activity, including stretching, can also improve blood sugar management. However, the effects of stretching alone on blood sugar levels will not be significant. - you have to use yoga as it's intended (as an isometric exercise to improve your state of mind and grow your focus). A combination of regular exercise, a balanced diet, and medical guidance is recommended for optimal blood sugar and blood pressure management.

#3 Taking a Hot Bath or Shower:

Taking a hot bath or shower can induce a sense of relaxation and help relieve muscle tension. Warm water immersion may lead to temporary dilation of blood vessels, which could have a minor effect on blood pressure. Extreme heat (in baths, hot tubs, or sunburns) can cause blood vessels to dilate, which makes insulin absorb more quickly and could lead to low blood sugar. Additionally, warm baths might contribute to stress reduction, indirectly benefiting blood pressure levels.

#4 Drinking Water:

Staying hydrated by drinking water is crucial for overall health, including proper bodily functions and circulation. Being adequately hydrated can contribute to maintaining stable blood pressure levels. Additionally, drinking water can play a role in managing blood sugar, particularly for people with diabetes. Drinking water helps the body process glucose and can prevent dehydration-related spikes in blood sugar. However, while hydration is important, solely relying on water intake to lower blood pressure or blood sugar levels would be inadequate. A comprehensive approach that includes dietary changes, exercise, and potentially medication under medical guidance is necessary.

In summary, these activities —laughing, stretching, taking hot baths or showers, and drinking water—can contribute positively to overall health and well-being; they should not be considered standalone methods for effectively managing blood sugar and blood pressure. For individuals with concerns about these health markers, it's essential to consult a healthcare professional for tailored guidance and treatment options. Lifestyle changes, proper medication (if necessary), regular medical check-ups, and a well-balanced diet and exercise are crucial components of blood sugar and blood pressure management.

If you have concerns about your blood pressure, it's best to consult a healthcare professional for personalized guidance and appropriate treatment.

Nothing to laugh about?? (I've been there!) Try laughter yoga where you laugh and smile despite nothing to smile about for a few minutes or an hour.

Add some happy baby pose and healing mudras; I've always been drawn to Uttaribodhi and Hakini mudra as they have healing properties and work out your arms and spine.

And the winner is: Isometric Exercise the Best Workout Overall

Studies compared workouts like jogging and lifting weights, but the most effective type of workout they looked at, especially for those who already had some form of hypertension, was isometric exercise, which involves contracting muscles (skin to muscle and muscle to bone) without moving. (Do this in any stationary yoga pose or a plank.)

This new research adds to a growing body of evidence that quick bursts of exercise — like speeding up your walk during a commute or carrying groceries with a bit more vigor — can significantly benefit your overall health.

“Everybody feels this incredible threat to their time — everybody feels like they don’t have enough time,” said Dr. Tamanna Singh, co-director of the Sports Cardiology Center at Cleveland Clinic, who was not involved with the study. “It’s so interesting to see more studies coming out showing time really is not the limiting factor.”

The British researchers looked at three kinds of isometric workouts in particular: squeezing a handgrip, holding a leg extension machine in place and squatting with your back against a wall. The wall squat (sometimes called a wall sit) is probably the easiest option for people to try, as it doesn’t require any equipment, said Jamie J. Edwards, a Canterbury Christ Church University researcher and the lead author on the study.

Even though isometric exercises may appear relatively easy, they are often quite intense, especially with hyperbolic and isometric stretches found in yoga, Dr. Edwards said — as you hold yourself in place, sweating and straining. He recommends a 14-minute routine you can add to your regular workout perhaps three times a week: a two-minute wall squat, followed by two minutes of rest, repeated four times in total.

You should stay at the same squat height for all four rounds, but the exercise will feel more challenging the more times you do it, said Jim Wiles, a principal lecturer at Canterbury Christ Church University who was also an author on the study. The first bout should feel like you are exerting yourself at a level of four (out of a possible 10, with ten feeling as if you could not hold it any longer). The last bout should be around an eight, he said. You should feel reasonably exhausted by the end.

And be careful not to hold your breath while you do it, Dr. Edwards added.
The researchers aren’t entirely sure why isometric exercises are so effective for combating hypertension. One prominent theory, Dr. Edwards said, is that when you clench your muscles without moving, the local blood vessels around them compress — and then when you release, blood flushes back, causing the vessels to widen or dilate if you perform the exercise frequently enough, in a way they don’t during a dynamic exercise like a run.

That change can be critical because, over time, high blood pressure can stiffen our arteries and prevent them from dilating properly, which restricts how much oxygen-rich blood they can deliver. Dr. Singh said this increases the risk of a heart attack or stroke.

The study doesn’t mean you should ditch your run and go straight for wall squats — isometric exercise should complement, not replace, your favorite workout, Dr. Edwards said, whether that’s cardio or weight lifting. And if you have any underlying medical conditions, you should consult your doctor to check that isometric exercise is safe for you, Dr. Wiles suggested.

But if you are looking for a heart-healthy addition to your workout, you could do worse than the isometrics of yoga with stretches, but not least, the humble wall squat.

“You truly only need your body,” Dr. Singh said. “You don’t even need shoes.”
-Dani Blum

Beyond medications, meditation, and then adding all these in --we'll have BGs, mood, and blood pressure problems beat - naturally!

Karin - Diabetic Business Coach and Healer (Change Coach, Yoga Therapist, Instant Miracle Mastery Healer, Coach and Reiki Master + )

https://calendly.com/ideasandinsightskarinc

Sources

1. Sakurada, Kaori et al. “Associations of Frequency of Laughter With Risk of All-Cause Mortality and Cardiovascular Disease Incidence in a General Population: Findings From the Yamagata Study.” Journal of Epidemiology vol. 30,4 (2020): 188-193. doi:10.2188/jea.JE20180249
2. Takeda, Masatoshi et al. “Laughter and humor as complementary and alternative medicines for dementia patients.” BMC Complementary and alternative medicine vol. 10 28. 18 Jun. 2010, doi:10.1186/1472-6882-10-28
3. Dunbar RI, Baron R, Frangou A, et al. Social laughter is correlated with an elevated pain threshold. Proc Biol Sci. 2012;279(1731):1161-1167. doi:10.1098/rspb.2011.1373
4. Park, Seong Hoon. “Effects of passive static stretching on blood glucose levels in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.” Journal of physical therapy science vol. 27,5 (2015): 1463-5. doi:10.1589/jpts.27.1463
5. Gurudut P, Rajan AP. Immediate effect of passive static stretching versus resistance exercises on postprandial blood sugar levels in type 2 diabetes mellitus: a randomized clinical trial. J Exerc Rehabil. 2017;13(5):581-587. Published 2017 Oct 30. doi:10.12965/jer.1735032.516
6. Philips, Erin Three lesser-known ways to lower blood sugar. (2021). Retrieved 1 August 2023, from https://www.erinphillipsnutrition.com/post/lowering-blood-sugar
7. Blum, Dani "A Simple 14-Minute Workout That Could Lower Your Blood Pressure". 2023. Nytimes.Com. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/26/well/blood-pressure-workout-wall-squat.html?
8. Higuera, Valencia Happy Baby Pose: How to Do, Benefits, and History. (November 23, 2020). Retrieved 1 August 2023, from https://www.healthline.com/health/happy-baby-pose#takeaway
9. Nast, Condé. 2022. "Master The Move: How To Do The Wall Sit Exercise To Completely Light Up Your Quads". SELF. https://www.self.com/story/wall-sit-exercise.
10. Taheri N, Mohammadi HK, Ardakani GJ, Heshmatipour M. The effects of passive stretching on the blood glucose levels of patients with type 2 diabetes. J Bodyw Mov Ther. 2019;23(2):394-398. doi:10.1016/j.jbmt.2018.02.009
11. Hoekstra SP, Bishop NC, Faulkner SH, Bailey SJ, Leicht CA. Acute and chronic effects of hot water immersion on inflammation and metabolism in sedentary, overweight adults. J Appl Physiol. 2018;125(6):2008-2018. doi:10.1152/japplphysiol.00407.2018
12. Pandey A, Tripathi P, Pandey R, Srivatava R, Goswami S. Alternative therapies useful in the management of diabetes: A systematic review. J Pharm Bioallied Sci. 2011;3(4):504-512. doi:10.4103/0975-7406.90103