Exercising with High Blood Pressure !

Hey y'all, 

When you have high blood pressure, listening to your body is important. 

Your top priority is to neutralize the threat of blood pressure before you push yourself toward more dramatic exercise goals. Frequency (number of exercise sessions per week) is more important than intensity. 

Here are a few tips to help you get started on the right foot.

• Talk to your doctor first. Certain exercises can be unsafe for people with hypertension. 
• You should not exercise unless your blood pressure is under control and monitored by a doctor.
• If you are new to exercise or haven't been active in awhile, start slowly and increase your workout time as you get stronger. A good starting point is 20 minutes of aerobic activity, 3 times per week. Examples include walking, swimming and biking. The best activities to do are the ones you enjoy and will stick with. Eventually, the goal is to work up to 45-60 minutes, 5 times per week. It is also important to let your body warm up and cool down gradually during each exercise session (5-10 minutes each).
• Work at an intensity that allows you to breathe comfortably and rhythmically throughout all phases of your workout to ensure a safe and comfortable level of exercise.
• Sensible strength training is safe for people with hypertension. Lift lighter weights and breathe throughout each exercise. Avoid strenuous, max lifts, isometric exercises, and holding your breath, all of which increase your blood pressure.
• Strength training has not consistently been shown to help lower blood pressure. Thus, it is recommended as just one component of a well-rounded fitness program that also includes aerobic exercise and flexibility training.
• Some medications (such as beta-blockers) lower both your resting heart rate and your heart rate when working out. Therefore, when exercising, your heart rate will NOT reflect how hard you are actually working. For individuals on beta-blockers (or similar medications), it is NOT recommended that you measure your exercise intensity using a heart rate method. The RPE scale and Talk Test methods are safe and accurate for people with hypertension.

It's never too late to start an active lifestyle. No matter how old you are, how unfit you feel, or how long you've been inactive, research shows that starting a more active lifestyle improves your health. Increasing your overall activity, even in ways you wouldn't think of as exercise, also boasts big benefits!

Until da next tyme!