Living With BP Problem
Exercise And Hypertension
Hypertension or blood pressure is slowly but
surely taking epidemic proportions. About 50 million Americans have
hypertension. Blood pressure reading of 140/90 millimeters of Mercury is
considered as a normal blood pressure reading. But, the good thing is
that blood pressure is controllable. For further information, read Do
Take That Extra Care Of Yourself
Let's
first talk about exercise and hypertension meaning 'exercise induced
hypertension'. Hypertension mostly occurs among middle-aged and older
individuals. If the blood pressure readings show more than 140 mm Hg
(known as systolic rate) or more than 90 mm Hg (known as diastolic
rate), one is thought to suffer from high blood pressure. Hypertension
and exercise are intricately related to each other. The causes of high
blood pressure have to be diagnosed first and the readings are to be
checked with the help of blood pressure monitors. Blood pressure is
indirectly measured with a sphygmomanometer or digital blood pressure
cuffs.
Dynamic exercise such as walking, running and cycling
produce a different blood pressure response than static or resistance
exercise such as in strength training and isometric exercise. The
systolic rate rises steadily as exercise intensity increases, while the
diastolic rate varies minimally. Consequently, vigorous dynamic exercise
can increase a typical systolic rate range to 220 mm Hg. If it becomes
greater than 240 mm Hg, then the cardiovascular system may not respond
appropriately. In such a case, the exercise should be stopped
immediately. The same should be done if the diastolic rate increases 20
mm Hg above resting value or reaches 115 mm Hg.
On the other
hand, the second meaning of exercise and hypertension states that
exercise helps to lower blood pressure naturally. Regular physical
activity has also been shown to be effective in reducing the relative
risk of developing hypertension by 19 to 30 percent. Similarly, a low
cardio-respiratory fitness in middle age is associated with a 50 percent
greater risk of developing hypertension. Exercise works because during
conditioning, vessels dilate to increase blood supply. This vasodilation
reduces the pressure exerted against the artery walls.
Ideally,
hypertensive individuals should exercise five to six times per week
depending on their initial fitness level. However, improvement can be
achieved with as little as three sessions per week. You can lower blood
pressure levels through exercise.