You can work out safely even with high blood pressure by including safe exercises that can lower your pressure by an impressive five to seven points. Positively, blood pressure drop from exercise is similar to what is expected with some common blood pressure medications. Likewise being active comes with many health benefits such as helping weight loss, strengthening the heart and lungs, and improving overall well-being.
Is it safe to work out with high blood pressure?
People often ask if it’s safe to work out with high blood pressure. The good news is yes, not only can you safely work out, but also need to exercise with hypertension. However, it’s important to check your levels or ask your doctor first to ensure your blood pressure levels are within a certain range. In addition, there are other things to bear in mind to enable you to get active and manage hypertension positively.
Therefore, if you’ve been diagnosed with high blood pressure (HBP) also called hypertension, here’s what you need to know to get started on how to work out safely even with high blood pressure.
Don’t be nervous
It’s normal to feel a little nervous about starting to work out if you’ve been diagnosed with a condition like high blood pressure.
Start slowly
First, if you haven’t been active for a long time, do not begin with a 60-minute swim followed by a 4-mile jog home! Remember to talk with your doctor to ensure there are no mitigating conditions that would limit your workout. Then start slowly. Warm up before exercising as it can help reduce the risk of injury.
Walking is a safer option
Walking is an excellent way to start. If you are an outdoors person, get together with a couple of friends or neighbors and walk at a normal pace for 30 minutes. If not, a treadmill is a great alternative. Then gradually increase your distance and pace as you become more energized and conditioned. Your exercise becomes aerobic when you feel slightly short of breath (but still able to speak) and your heart rate increases.
Other exercises that you may find exciting include cycling, hiking, swimming, or active sports such as tennis or basketball. However, what’s most crucial is that whatever exercise you choose is enjoyable. No one is going to keep up with an exercise program that is boring and tortuous.
Have a goal
Your goal should be to work out for up to 30 minutes, 5 days per week. But if you can’t set aside that amount of time all at once, you can break up your workout into three 10-minute sessions. You will still receive the same benefits as a 30-minute routine. So, if you work at a job where you sit for long, remember to get up and walk around regularly. Research has shown that too much time sitting can contribute to several health conditions.
Monitor your blood pressure
Monitoring your blood pressure regularly is key to how to work out safely even with high blood pressure. As such, purchasing a good automated blood pressure cuff is a great investment. This will allow you to take your blood pressure at different times during the day or week, particularly after an exercise and before bedtime. And with regular exercise, the benefits will soon show in your blood pressure results.
Other ideas to increase your activity
There are some practical daily ways to increase the amount of exercise you are getting. If you take advantage of these ideas, it will not even seem like you’re exercising.
- Park farther away from your office entrance and walk the rest. Also, depending on how much you shop, you can increase your weekly exercise by a decent amount of walking within the shops.
- Don’t take the elevator. Take the stairs instead if you don’t have any orthopedic issues and can walk up a flight of stairs.
- Take a walk to the park and spend time with your children or grandchildren.
Can you overdo exercise?
Your body will let you know what it can handle. So listen to it! And stop exercising and rest if you:
- Develop chest pain. If your chest pain doesn’t go away after 5-10 minutes of rest, seek medical attention.
- Have shortness of breath that renders you unable to speak.
- Feel pain in your back, jaw, neck, or shoulders.
- Experience dizziness, light-headedness, or weakness.
- Develop an irregular heartbeat. Seek medical attention if this occurs.
Since you have learned how to work out safely even with high blood pressure, and it is effective in reducing blood pressure points, stand up, get active, and work your way to a healthy life and optimal blood pressure!
Bottom line
High blood pressure, or any form of heart and vascular disease, doesn’t have to impede our lifestyle. So this article Work Out Safely Even With High Blood Pressure is a wake-up call to treat your body better and live a healthier life.
Photo Credit: Creative Commons
Abiola is the founder of Indulge™ group of companies, a healthy-living focused group. A passionate believer in a healthy lifestyle, living in the United Kingdom made it easy for her to pursue a health and fitness regime. She is the Managing Director/CEO of Indulge Nigeria Limited and Indulge Cares Nigeria Limited, both companies promoting the benefits of a healthy lifestyle for the prevention of illnesses and diseases. Abiola is available on https://www.indulgeinhealthyliving.com/