Working Out with High Blood Pressure

If you’ve been told you have high blood pressure, you may think it’s time to kiss your workout days behind.  These days, however, that doesn’t have to be true.  Sure, certain exercises may no longer be right for you, but with a little adjustment in technique and stress, you’ll soon be back to your old self.

The first thing you need to do is focus on a workout plan that will not only keep you in shape, but will actually help keep your blood pressure down.  This means going outside for a breath of fresh air, and getting some regular aerobic exercise.  An aerobic workout lowers both your diastolic and your systolic blood pressure by 10 to 15 points, but this long term gain comes with some short term risks – during the workout itself, your blood will be pumping.  While focusing on aerobics, make sure to keep things moderate, especially as you’re adjusting to this new tempo.  Avoid competitive sports with unequal bursts of exertion (think tennis).  Power walking is good, and you can slowly move back up to jogging.

Weight lifting is a little trickier.  First of all, people suffering from uncontrolled hypertension should not lift weights without a doctor’s explicit approval.  If your doctor okays the workout, try starting off with one set at a time of 10 to 15 reps of a moderate weight.  As always, it’s important not to hold your breath while lifting.

The most important thing with any workout plan is consistency, but when you have high blood pressure it is doubly so.  There a risk inherent in working out with high blood pressure that is offset by the long term gains, but if you aren’t consistent then you have all the risk, but none of the gain.  Try to work out at least 3 – 4 times a week, for 20 minutes to a half hour.  Remember, with a little exercise and watching what you eat, you can kiss your high blood pressure goodbye!