High Blood Pressure And Exercise
People often think that high blood pressure and exercise do not mix and that the last thing you want to do if you have high blood pressure is to embark on an exercise program. In reality however the opposite is true and many doctors will go so far as to recommend a specific exercise program for people with hypertension.
The heart is a muscle just like any other muscle in the body and it works best when it is fit. If you do not exercise your heart then it becomes weak and over time requires an increasing effort to pump less and less blood around the body. By contrast, a fit heart requires less force to pump blood around the body and, in turn, exerts less pressure on your arteries.
But exercise is not only important for your heart when it comes to controlling high blood pressure. Another very important risk factor for the development of hypertension is weight and once your BMI reaches 30 your risk from high blood pressure begins to increase at an alarming rate. A regular exercise program combined with a diet program (such as the DASH diet for high blood pressure) will help you to maintain your weight or, if necessary, to shed those extra pounds.
There are of course many different forms of exercise and it is a good idea to set yourself a well balanced exercise program if at all possible. In terms of your blood pressure however the most important form of exercise is aerobic exercise which increases both your heart rate and breathing rate.
Now aerobic exercise can of course mean visiting your local gym and working out on such things a treadmill if you wish to do so, but it certainly doesn't have to mean joining a local gym. Any form of aerobic exercise is fine as long as it takes a reasonable amount of effort and adds up to about half an hour a day of activity. Even a brisk walk counts!
The secret, unless you enjoy the gym (which many people don't), is simply to work some sort of activity into your daily routine and that can often be easier than you think. Here are some ideas:
- If you live above the ground floor in an apartment block, take the stairs rather than using the lift.
- If you pop out in the car each morning to pick up your paper, walk to the news stand instead of getting the car out of the garage.
- If you commute to work by bus or on the subway, get off one or two stops early and walk the rest of the way.
- If you hire a lad to mow your lawn then find him something else to do and mow the lawn yourself.
- If you have a pool nearby consider taking up swimming either on a daily basis or perhaps two or three times a week.
- If you've often thought about taking up golf but have never got around to it then now is a good time to start.
- And so the list goes on…
Adding exercise into your life is extremely important if you are to control your blood pressure but, if you are not used to regular exercise, then don't rush into it too quickly but take your time and build yourself up slowly over the course of several weeks adding a little more exercise each day.
Also, if you have any health concerns then you should discuss these with your doctor. For example, if you are a man over the age of 40 or a woman over the age of 50, you smoke, you are overweight or obese, you have a chronic health condition (including high blood pressure), you have had a heart attack, you have a family history of heart disease or you are simply unsure of your health status, then you should talk to your doctor before starting an exercise program.
Finally, remember that you are concerned about high blood pressure and exercise is simply one part of your strategy to combat it. However, you are not going to know how well you are doing unless you monitor your blood pressure regularly.
Recommended products from
Omron HEM-780/HEM-780N3 Automatic Blood Pressure Monitor with ComFit Cuff
Amazon Price: $59.32
Customer Review: With two seniors in our household battling hypertension it has been critical for us to track our BP readings at home for the doctor visits. If we don't take in a record, the doctors hits us with more meds even if our BP readings are high in his office due to "white coat syndrome".
The wrist monitor has been inaccurate - readings far too low....
Omron HEM-790IT Automatic Blood Pressure Monitor with Advanced Omron Health M...
Amazon Price: $73.27
Customer Review: I am very satisfied with the Omron HEM-79IT BP monitor. It is easy to use and it is able to store BP measurements.
Omron HEM-650 Wrist Blood Pressure Monitor with APS (Advanced Positioning Sen...
Amazon Price: $48.00
Customer Review: I have been using a wrist blood pressure monitor for several years, but recently the band broke so I was in the market for a new one. The Omron HEM-650 had the best ratings across the review sites I visited. Since I received the device it has been a pleasure to use. The accuracy appears to be excellent (I have not checked it with the medical profes...
To Cut Diabetes Heart Risks, Diet and Exercise May Beat Drugs - U.S. News & W...
15 Mar 2010 at 5:32pm
ABC News
To Cut Diabetes Heart Risks, Diet and Exercise May Beat Drugs
U.S. News & World Report
The new study examining blood pressure found that diabetics with moderately high blood pressure levels?about 135 mm Hg on average?didn't benefit from taki...
7 ways to reduce hypertension - Palm Beach Post
15 Mar 2010 at 2:58pm
7 ways to reduce hypertension
Palm Beach Post
But among those with high blood pressure, half are salt-sensitive. According to the American Heart Association, sodium increases the fluids in your body, ...
and more »
US Youth Likely To Face Greater Health Issues - 89.3 KPCC
16 Mar 2010 at 11:56pm
US Youth Likely To Face Greater Health Issues
89.3 KPCC
Porter points to what used to be considered "adult diseases," like diabetes and high blood pressure, which are now being seen in obese kids. ...
and more »
|
