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Do you want to know how exercise affects blood pressure? Continue reading.
As you get older, you’re more prone to have high blood pressure (hypertension), exacerbated by poor lifestyle choices, including lack of exercise.1
If you have hypertension or want to avoid it, getting moderate activity can make a big difference. You are not required to run a marathon or join a gym immediately.
Instead, understand How does exercise increase blood pressure? Although minor adjustments to your everyday routine can have a significant impact.
Physical activity is a practice that works on developing mental, physical, spiritual & social health. The main goals of physical activity2 include Physical Health, Mental Health, Spiritual Health, Self Realization, and Social Health.
Health experts advise exercise as a prerequisite for a healthy life, free from diseases and ailments. Physical activity is necessary because it keeps us fit, helps burst stress & maintains our overall health.
Let us discuss How Does Exercise Increase Blood Pressure:-
Types of Exercise
There are three main types of exercise; Based on different types of exercise, you can quickly answer 3how does exercise increase blood pressure or impacts overall health.
Light exercise: It doesn’t make you sweat unless it’s boiling. There is no change in breathing patterns, heart rate, sleeping pattern, writing, and prolonged walking, which are examples of the first category.
Moderate exercise: After about 10 minutes of exercise, your breathing rate should have increased, your heart should have accelerated, and you should be warm enough to start sweating. Breathing becomes more profound and more frequent; bicycling, home exercise, and light or moderate effort are examples of the second category.
Vigorous exercise: will make you breathe difficultly, increase your heart rate and make you hot enough to sweat after 3-5 minutes. Breathing is deep and rapid. Examples of this type include running, jogging, push-ups, sit-ups, pull-ups, jumping jacks, and strenuous and vigorous effort.
What Is Blood Pressure?
The blood pressure of a person is a result of two variables. As blood is pumped from your heart to the rest of your body, it exerts stress or pressure on the arterial walls.4
The tension in the arteries is also affected when the heart is at rest between beats. As a result, you’ll hear two figures when your blood pressure is taken.
Your blood pressure, for example, could be tested at 140/90 mmHg, which is considered high. The systolic blood pressure reading is on top, and the diastolic blood pressure reading is on the bottom.
Low blood pressure or Hypotension – unless it causes symptoms like dizziness, nausea, or fainting, it is not considered a severe health condition.
High blood pressure or Hypertension – can be a life-threatening condition, and if left untreated, it can damage arteries, resulting in heart disease, heart failure, and stroke. According to a report, about half of all adult Americans have high blood pressure.
How Does Exercise Affect Blood Pressure?
Although exercise can cause blood pressure to rise, the effects are usually short-lived. Eventually, your blood pressure should return to normal once you’ve completed exercising, and you’ll be healthier if your blood pressure returns to normal as quickly as possible.
A range of factors can alter the cardiovascular system’s response to exercise- diet, medical condition, and medications are just a few examples of these factors.
Swimming, Cycling, brisk walking, and running are all aerobic exercise that strains the heart and cardiovascular system. You must breathe more quickly because your muscles require more oxygen than rest.
Blood arteries dilate and become less rigid as your heart beats faster and harder. As a result, exercising has a balancing effect.
During exercise, the heart rate increases and blood pressure rises somewhat, but the blood vessels become more stretchy, which can help prevent hypertension5.”
An exercise routine can also help to reduce other high blood pressure risk factors like obesity and high cholesterol.
When you’re oversized, your heart has to work harder to circulate blood around your body, which raises the pressure inside the arterial walls. According to research, obesity is responsible for nearly three out of every four occurrences of Hypertension.
What Should Your Blood Pressure Be?
According to reports, normal blood pressure is usually less than 120/80 mm Hg. This includes a systolic pressure of less than 120 mm Hg (top number) and a diastolic pressure of less than 80 mm Hg (bottom number).
Exercise increases systolic blood pressure (bp), which refers to the tension in your blood vessels when your heartbeats.
The tension in the blood vessels between heartbeats is measured by diastolic blood pressure. During exercise, it should not alter considerably. Consult your health professional if this is the case.
Exercise hypertension, for example, is a condition that raises blood pressure rapidly as a result of physical activity. Exercise hypertension can cause systolic blood pressure to rise to 250 mm Hg during physical activity.
As blood pressure differs from one individual to another, it’s difficult to say what blood pressure values are appropriate after exercise. For one person, normal levels could indicate a concern for another.
According to a study, almost 25% of people did not see a reduction in blood pressure after exercise.
However, any value less than 90/60 mm Hg is considered lower blood pressure after exercise. Any value greater than 140/90 mm Hg after a resting time of up to two hours during the following activity is high blood pressure.
Blood Pressure under Normal Conditions
To establish how much your blood pressure should be after physical activity, you should understand your blood pressure under normal conditions.
As your heart tries hard to pump blood to muscles, your blood pressure rises during and after exercise. The systolic (upper) number usually rises, while the diastolic (lower) value stays the same or falls somewhat. How does exercise increase blood pressure and how long it stays there varies by person, but it should return to normal in only a few minutes.
The number of times your heart beats per minute at rest is known as your average heart rate or pulse. When you first wake up, check your pulse (on your wrist or neck) and count the number of heartbeats for 60 seconds; this is your resting heart rate.
You can buy a blood pressure cuff at home to measure your blood pressure changes after exercise. It is suggested that you wait about five minutes after exercising before testing your blood pressure.”
According to the findings, aerobic activity (exercise that raises your heart rate, such as brisk walking, swimming, or biking) can lower blood pressure by 5 to 7 mmHg in patients with hypertension. The reduction in blood pressure happens quickly after exercise and can remain for up to 24 hours, known as post-exercise hypotension.
How Does Exercise Increase Blood Pressure ?
Let’s discuss, How does exercise increase blood pressure? Blood pressure usually rises while you work out, and during and immediately after a workout, blood pressure should be higher than usual.
So, how does exercise increase blood pressure- that depends on the type of exercise performed, how long do it, the intensity of the workout, overall physical condition, and resting blood pressure?
Exercise can raise systolic blood pressure6 in adults with normal or high blood pressure by 50 to 70 mmHg.
If your blood pressure is over 180/120 and you’re experiencing symptoms like severe chest discomfort, shortness of breath, back pain, vision problems, severe headache, nausea or vomiting, or seizures, seek medical help.
Hypertensive crisis, if left untreated, might result in a stroke or organ damage.
According to a study, resistance training (e.g., lifting hand weights) can drop blood pressure by nearly four mmHg. Post-exercise blood pressure falls usually relatively temporary unless you exercise regularly.
As a result, specialists recommend exercising most days of the week if you have hypertension.
How Does Exercise Decrease Blood Pressure?
People with normal or increased blood pressure can benefit from physical activity. Does exercise increase blood pressure? The answer is yes. But can Exercise decrease blood pressure too? Let’s find out.
An exercise may cause your blood pressure to drop too low, especially if you’re already prone to low blood pressure owing to factors like:
- You are taking certain medications like antidepressants, diuretics, drugs for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, blood pressure medications, etc.
- You have heart problems such as heart valve disease or heart failure.
- Dehydration, which impairs circulation
What is the simplest way to tell whether you have low blood pressure? The American Heart Association (AHA) lists the following signs and symptoms: Nausea, dizziness or light-headedness, Concentration issues, Breathing quickly, hazy vision Being unusually tired, and having pale chilly skin. Consult your doctor if you’re having any of these symptoms.
Low blood pressure might be a symptom of something more dangerous, such as internal bleeding, and the dizziness that commonly comes with it can lead to falls and other problems. Depending on your low blood pressure source, your healthcare professional may recommend adjusting any medications .or reducing your activity intensity.
When Should You Seek Professional Help?
If you’re truly worried about your blood pressure, consult your doctor if you have any of the following symptoms:
• During exercise, blood pressure spikes.
• Exercising causes your blood pressure to drop.
• No change in blood pressure reading during physical activity.
• During or after physical activity, your systolic pressure (top number) exceeds 200 mm Hg.
• During physical activity, your diastolic pressure (bottom number) fluctuates.
• During or after physical activity, your blood pressure readings exceed 180/120 mm Hg.
Dos and Don’ts
Regular exercise can aid in controlling blood pressure. The following tips will help you enhance your safety if you have hypotension, are at risk of hypertension, or already have it:
- To monitor your blood pressure check, do a little exercise every day.
- If you aren’t active but want to be, talk to your doctor or another healthcare expert.
- Choose moderate-intensity exercise that changes your exercise routines, such as walking, swimming, or Cycling.
- To prevent injuries, a warm-up for 5-10 minutes before exercising.
- Slowly reduce or stop exercising, which is especially important for persons with high blood pressure.
The 5 Most Effective Exercises for Lowering Blood Pressure
The impact of various types of exercise and activities on your body varies. If you’re concerned about it, you can check your blood pressure before, during, and after your workout.
1. Brisk Walking
Exercise reduces blood vessel stiffness, allowing blood to flow more readily. Exercise benefits are most evident during and right after an exercise.
Research suggested that three 10-minute walks per day were more effective than one 30-minute walk in preventing future blood pressure increases.
2. Biking or Cycling
Biking or Cycling for 30 minutes a day, or three 10-minute cycle intervals.
3. Hiking
The muscle power required to climb an incline, a hill, or a mountain can help gain stamina. Hiking, for example, can drop blood pressure by up to 10 points.
4. Swimming
This form of exercise can be beneficial in controlling blood pressure in adults 60 and older; according to study findings- swimmers had reduced their systolic blood pressure by an average of nine points.
5. Weight Training
Weight lifting or weight training can lower blood pressure, which may seem contradictory.
Strength training might initially elevate blood pressure, but it can also contribute to overall physical health, which will optimize blood pressure levels.
Final Words
Focus on aerobic exercise if you have high blood pressure that will benefit your heart and blood vessels the most, but avoid activities that put your heart under too much stress. Seek medical advice about the safest approach to exercise if you’re at risk for or have hypertension.
If you have low blood pressure, pick activities that do not require you to bend and rise rapidly.
Let’s hope you now have a clearer understanding of how does exercise increase blood pressure?
If you still have any questions about how does exercise increase blood pressure, talk to your health professional before making any changes in your daily exercise routine.
Please leave a comment below if you have any queries about this article. Thank you very much, and have a fantastic day!
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- Brenner, I. K. M., et al. “Impact of three different types of exercise on components of the inflammatory response.” European journal of applied physiology and occupational physiology 80 (1999): 452-460. ↩︎
- Thubrikar, Mano J., and Francis Robicsek. “Pressure-induced arterial wall stress and atherosclerosis.” The Annals of thoracic surgery 59.6 (1995): 1594-1603. ↩︎
- Slama, Michel, Dinko Susic, and Edward D. Frohlich. “Prevention of hypertension.” Current opinion in cardiology 17.5 (2002): 531-536. ↩︎
- Whelton, Paul K., et al. “Primary prevention of hypertension: clinical and public health advisory from The National High Blood Pressure Education Program.” Jama 288.15 (2002): 1882-1888. ↩︎
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