High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, raises your risk for stroke and heart attack. It happens when your heart has to work too hard to pump your blood through your arteries. According to the American Society of Hypertension, high blood pressure can also damage your eyes, brain and kidneys.
Step 1
Review your exercise goals and weight loss plan with your doctor. She should give the green light to any major changes in your lifestyle to make sure it doesn’t interfere with any medications or other treatment programs you might be pursuing.
Step 2
Create a weekly exercise plan based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's recommended levels of physical activity for adults. For basic health benefits, they recommend two days per week of muscle-strengthening exercise and either 75 minutes of vigorous aerobics, such as running, or 150 minutes of moderate aerobics such as brisk walking.
Step 3
Vary your workouts. If you ride a bike one day, try a brisk walk or a swim the next. The American Council on Exercise says mixing it up does more than prevent boredom—it keeps you physically challenged and helps avoid a “plateau” where your results flatline instead of increasing.
Step 4
Break your workouts into small chunks of time. It’s intimidating to face an hourlong workout, but according to the CDC, you can get a mini-workout in as little as 10 minutes as long as your activity level is “moderate or vigorous.” With just two 10-minute walks per day, you’ll get moderate aerobic exercise every week.
Step 5
Set reasonable goals. No one expects you to lose a pound a day, for example, but a pound per week might be a more reasonable goal. According to the Mayo Clinic, dropping just 5 pounds can help alleviate hypertension. Make that your first goal. Once it’s accomplished, aim for another 5 pounds.
Step 6
Cut calories to help you lose weight faster. You need to burn 3,500 more calories than you ingest to lose a pound. The National Library of Medicine and National Institutes of Health suggest cutting 500 calories from your diet per day—in a week, you’ll lose 1 pound based on diet alone.
Step 7
Monitor your blood pressure at home. Home monitoring might result in fewer visits to the doctor’s office, says the Mayo Clinic. If your doctor has you on medication, you’ll also get to see just how much an effect the medicine, combined with weight loss, might have.
Tips and Warnings
- If you’re physically able, upgrade to the CDC’s higher-intensity workout plan. It calls for the same amount of strength training per week, but double the minutes of aerobic activity.
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