14 Mar High Blood Pressure: The Silent Killer (And How to Fix It) with Mark Young
High blood pressure is often called the silent killer, especially for women in midlife. It’s like a time bomb sitting below the surface just waiting for something to happen. Despite thinking that it is something that “suddenly happens”, nothing in our bodies suddenly happens. There is a reason it’s happening. And usually, high blood pressure damages our bodies without symptoms until it’s too late. The thing is, our blood pressure can be elevated throughout our days and we are not aware of it! As we age, our cardiovascular system changes, and these changes can lead to serious health issues if left unaddressed! In this episode, Mark Young from Zona and I explore the connection between blood pressure, aging, and a revolutionary approach using isometric exercise to help combat this hidden threat.
Understanding Blood Pressure
Most of us think of blood pressure as simply a number that gets checked at doctor’s appointments and once it;s high, you just “take medication”. The truth is, high blood pressure (hypertension) isn’t actually a disease—it’s a serious symptom of something ELSE happening in your body.
Think of your cardiovascular system like a garden hose:
- When the hose is new, it’s flexible and water flows easily
- As it ages, it becomes stiff and less pliable
- If kinked or narrowed, pressure builds up as water tries to flow through
This is exactly what happens in our bodies. As we age, our heart has to work harder to get our blood pushed through smaller openings in our cardiovascular system. This happens for a few reasons: our cardiovascular system is contracting due to a spasmic state, our blood vessels become less flexible (a condition called arteriosclerosis), they can become blocked by plaque, and in any case, it takes more pressure to push blood through the system.
This increased effort and pressure is what we measure as hypertension (high blood pressure). But the REAL question is what the heck is causing the high blood pressure in the first place?!
The Midlife Blood Pressure Crisis
When we talk about hypertension, it is often referring to the “age related hypertension” as mentioned above. But for women in midlife, especially those going through perimenopause or menopause, blood pressure control becomes even MORE challenging and dynamic due to hormonal changes. Here’s why:
- Estrogen helps with vasodilation (the widening of blood vessels) through nitric oxide production
- As estrogen levels drop during menopause, nitric oxide production decreases
- Reduced nitric oxide means blood vessels don’t widen as easily
- Even with hormone replacement therapy (HRT), women rarely return to the optimal levels of their younger years
So even if you’re doing everything right—like eating well, taking supplements, or using HRT—your cardiovascular system is STILL at risk as you age. This is why we need to look well beyond just medication for maintaining healthy blood pressure.
Stress and the Nervous System Connection to Blood Pressure
Understanding the balance between our two main nervous system states (sympathetic and parasympathetic) is CRUCIAL for blood pressure management, especially in midlife.
The Sympathetic State: More Than Just “Fight or Flight”
The sympathetic nervous system is our body’s activation system. When triggered, it:
- Constricts blood vessels to redirect blood to vital organs and muscles
- Increases heart rate and respiratory rate
- Raises blood pressure as a protective mechanism
- Releases stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline
- Slows digestion and other “non-essential” functions
- Prepares the body for immediate action and survival
This state is vital for survival in true emergencies, but many of us live in this state permanently. Every notification, deadline, traffic jam, or worry triggers this response. And for midlife women, hormonal fluctuations can further amplify these responses. Think about how it feels when you’re overwhelmed – that racing heart, tight chest, and feeling of tension are all sympathetic activation.
The Parasympathetic State: Your Body’s Rest, Relax, and Restoration Mode
The parasympathetic nervous system is sometimes called “rest and digest” or “tend and befriend.” When active, it:
- Dilates blood vessels, improving circulation
- Slows heart rate and breathing
- Reduces blood pressure naturally
- Enhances digestion and nutrient absorption
- Activates healing and repair mechanisms
- Allows the body to recover from stress
This calm state is where actual healing happens. Unfortunately, many midlife women rarely spend enough time here. We rush from one task to another, never giving our bodies the chance to fully recover.
The Critical Balance: Vagal Tone
The ability to move smoothly between these two states is called “vagal tone” (referring to the vagus nerve that controls parasympathetic responses). Good vagal tone means you can:
- Respond appropriately to stressors when needed
- Return quickly to a calm state when the danger passes
- Maintain lower resting blood pressure
- Recover more efficiently from exertion
The ability to shift between the two states becomes compromised as we age, leading to chronically elevated blood pressure. The great news is that isometric exercise specifically helps retrain this vital function – even more so than your traditional idea of “cardio”.
👉 Visit Zona.com/nataliejill to learn how to address this underlying cause of high blood pressure.
The Isometric Revolution: A Different Type of Exercise
When most people think about exercise for heart health, they immediately think of cardio. Cardio is a great indicator of cardiovascular fitness…but it’s more about the recovery time. The fittest person is NOT the fastest one to run to the corner. The fittest person is the one who is able to stop breathing hard after the sprint to the corner. You might outrun me to the corner, but if I am breathing better sooner than you, I am more fit than you. Cardio is a great measure of how you RECOVER from cardio.
What Is Isometric Exercise?
Research from institutions like Mayo Clinic and Johns Hopkins University points to isometric exercise as potentially being MORE effective than cardio for actual blood pressure management. Why? Because during isometric exercises you are constantly alternating your body between the sympathetic and parasympathetic states (stress and recovery).
Unlike “regular” exercises where you move through a range of motion (like bicep curls or squats or situps), isometric exercises involve:
- Holding a muscle contraction at a specific position
- Maintaining that position without movement
- Creating tension without changing muscle length
Examples of isometric exercises include:
- Wall sits
- Planks
- Holding a weight at a 90-degree angle
- Static holds
The Science Behind Isometric Exercise – Blood Pressure and Beyond
When you perform an isometric exercise correctly, several fascinating physiological processes occur:
- Nitric Oxide Release: Your body produces nitric oxide every single time you do an isometric exercise, which naturally dilates blood vessels
- Potassium Release: Holding the position forces your body to release sodium to prevent cramping, which also triggers potassium release
- Endothelial Rehabilitation: The potassium helps soften the lining of blood vessels (endothelium), making them more flexible again
- Restored Sensitivity: A healthy endothelium acts like a “thermostat” that can detect and respond to blood pressure changes
The benefits of regular isometric exercise extend BEYOND just blood pressure reduction:
- Improved Heart Rate Variability (HRV): Better recovery between stress states
- Mental Focus: Acts as a form of “active meditation,” particularly beneficial for those with ADHD
- Vagal Tone Conditioning: Strengthens your ability to shift between sympathetic and parasympathetic states
- Convenience: Can be done anywhere without special equipment or gym visits
What makes isometric exercise particularly effective is how it creates a controlled cycle between sympathetic and parasympathetic states:
- Initial Comfort: When you begin an isometric hold using the Zona device, it feels manageable (parasympathetic state)
- Controlled Stress: As you maintain the hold, discomfort increases, triggering a sympathetic response
- Adaptation: Your body learns to maintain the hold despite discomfort
- Recovery: When you release the hold, you experience a swift return to parasympathetic state
- Conditioning: With regular practice, your body becomes more efficient at this transition
This cycling strengthens your nervous system’s flexibility, much like interval training strengthens your cardiovascular system. For midlife women living with chronic stress, this nervous system “workout” can be extremely transformative. The Zona device (Zona.com/nataliejill) provides the perfect tool for this practice, offering precise feedback to maximize benefits.
The Challenge of True Isometric Exercise
While isometric exercise might sound simple, most people struggle to maintain proper form without active feedback. This is where specialized devices like the Zona handgrip device can help by:
- Calibrating to your specific strength level
- Providing real-time feedback to ensure you’re maintaining the correct pressure
- Timing your holds and rest periods optimally
- Forcing you to stay in the “sweet spot” for maximum benefit
The Zona device has been researched extensively and provides a convenient way to perform effective isometric exercise anywhere, anytime. Visit Zona.com/nataliejill to learn more about this innovative approach to blood pressure management.
Taking Control of Your Cardiovascular Health
Don’t wait until symptoms appear—start incorporating evidence-based practices like isometric exercise today. As women in midlife, we need to be proactive about our heart health. While medications may treat symptoms, they don’t address the underlying causes of high blood pressure. The Advil might help your knee pain, but it doesn’t TREAT the reason you have knee pain in the first place.
The good news is that simple interventions like regular isometric exercise can help restore your body’s natural ability to regulate blood pressure. Combined with stress management, proper nutrition, and appropriate medical care, you can significantly reduce your risk of the “silent killer”.
