Exercise Your Blood Pressure
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Chances are that you or someone you know has high blood pressure. The National Institute of Health estimates that 1 in 3 Americans has high blood pressure. High blood pressure has been called the “silent killer” because there are few symptoms, if any, and chronic elevated pressure can lead to a host of cardiovascular problems, including death. Blood pressure is an important predictor of cardiovascular health.
What is Blood Pressure?
The distribution of blood throughout the body relies on the pressure in which the blood leaves the heart. Adequate blood pressure is needed to make sure blood can travel to all systems of the body and return to the heart. During exercise, the need for blood to the working muscles increases and thus, so does the required pressure. Blood pressure is depicted using a two numbered system such as 120/80 and this number can vary during the day.
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Blood is distributed to all parts of the body through vessels called arteries. When the blood leaves the heart with each beat (at rest approximately 60 to 80 beats), the force of the blood hitting the arteries is called systole which is the higher and top number of the blood pressure equation. Between beats, the heart rests and blood pressure falls. This lower value is called the diastolic pressure. During intense exercise sessions, systolic blood pressure can increase to values as high as 240mmHg with very little change occurring in the diastolic blood pressure.
What is High Blood Pressure and Why is it Important?
Information on blood pressure and the importance of maintaining a healthy pressure is available in doctors’ offices and in pharmacies across North America. While there are slight variations in healthy blood pressure ranges, a systolic pressure below 120 mmHg (top number) and a diastolic pressure below 80 mmHg (lower number) is usually presented as an acceptable level. A resting systolic pressure greater than 140 mmHg and a diastolic pressure above 90 mmHg can negatively affect various organs and systems in the body.
High blood pressure can go unnoticed for many years, but thankfully can be detected with a very simple and non-invasive method (you can even test your own blood pressure on many blood pressure machines in pharmacies) and treated. Chronic high blood pressure which may have been caused by lifestyle factors such as stress, inactivity, poor eating habits which lead to weight gain and also genetic factors places a large amount of physical stress on the cardiovascular system that can lead to heart failure, stroke, aneurysms and kidney failure.
Treatment Options
There are many treatment options for high blood pressure including medication, nutritional changes and of course, participation in a regular exercise program. A single session of aerobic exercise has been shown to temporarily lower blood pressure. Habitual exercise may lead to physiological adaptations that permanently maintain blood pressure at a healthy level. Intense activity can increase systolic blood pressure to dangerous levels for those who are hypertensive or slightly hypertensive, so moderate intensity aerobic activity of longer duration or a number of short exercise bouts throughout the day can lower blood pressure. Recently, evidence illustrating the benefits of moderate resistance training, circuit training and Tai Chi as appropriate exercise for hypertensive individuals has been published.
A recent study published in the New Zealand Medical Journal compared short 10 minute bouts of exercise, long continuous bouts and no exercise and effects on blood pressure. A total of 35 hypertensive adults participated in all three groups. Each adult completed the short, 4 x 10 minute bouts of brisk walking for 4 days, rested 10 days and then completed 4 days of long, 40-minute bouts of brisk walking per day, followed by 10 days of rest and 4 more days of no walking to be used as a control group. Blood pressure measurements were taken during all three protocols. Results show that short 4 x 10 minute blocks of brisk walking throughout the day are as affective as participating in one long 40-minute brisk walk per day.
Take-Home Message
Blood pressure can be managed by following a regular exercise program. The program need not be intense or of a very long duration. A sedentary lifestyle negatively affects blood pressure and can silently lead to ill health. If you cannot find the time to exercise for 30 to 40 consecutive minutes, plan 3 to 4 short walking bouts during your lunch break and throughout the day.
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