Physical exercise plays an important role in managing high blood pressure. There is a reverse correlation between high blood pressure and physical exercise; those who workout frequently are less prone to acquiring this problem.
Even a low-to-moderate intensity activity, when done regularly, can help control and ward off high blood pressure. Good examples of such physical exercise are walking for pleasure, gardening, yard work, moderate or heavy housework, dancing, and home exercises. Normal aerobic physical exercise can lower blood pressure, even without weight loss. If you have high blood pressure, you should attempt to do one or more of these activities every day.
Your blood pressure will naturally increase during physical activity and remain high for about an hour afterward. Even if you’re being treated for high blood pressure, you will still see this increase. People with high blood pressure need to be careful not to permit their blood pressure to rise too much during physical exercise. Learn how to determine these limits with your healthcare provider to develop a safe and efficient physical exercise plan.
To build up to a sufficient amount of daily physical exercise, you first need to be examined by your doctor to be certain that it’s safe for you to exercise. If he or she gives you the go signal, then you should begin slowly.
Attempt to stay away from isometric exercises that cause you to strain your muscles. Also, don’t try to cram a week’s worth of exercising into a single weekend. You will only end up developing a set of bad habits that will require breaking for you to get healthier again.
Avoid physical exercise if your resting systolic blood pressure exceeds 200 mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure exceeds 115 mmHg. Pay extra attention to non-weight-bearing exercises, such as aquatic activities and stationary cycling, or low-impact aerobic actions like walking, elliptical cross-training, or cycling if you have lower-body orthopedic difficulties. Always keep the intensity level towards the low end of the range. Evidence suggests that higher-intensity physical exercise doesn’t always produce a more beneficial reduction in blood pressure.
Exercise sessions should last for 20 to 30 minutes per session and progress to 30 to 60 minutes. Exercise at least four times per week, although exercising on an everyday basis is preferred. A single session of aerobic exercise may temporarily reduce blood pressure for several hours. Warm up for longer than 5 minutes to make sure that the cardiovascular system is prepared for the upcoming physical activity. This will help to cut down on the danger of getting an abrupt, sudden rise in blood pressure.
Perform at least 5-10 minutes of cool-down exercises so that there is a gradual transition from the conditioning activity to the resting state. Cooling down helps to prevent dizziness, lightheadedness or fainting, which are frequently associated with an abrupt cessation of physical exercise, particularly for those who are taking certain medications such as vasodilating agents.
Have your blood pressure checked at every doctor visit, or use a home blood pressure monitor. Home monitoring can let you see if your fitness program is helping to lower your blood pressure, and may make it so that you don’t require to visit the doctor to get your blood pressure checked as frequently. Should you choose to monitor your blood pressure from home, you’ll get the most accurate readings when you examine your blood pressure before your exercise, or at least one hour after exercising.
