Your blood pressure is basically the force of your blood pushing against the walls of your arteries. When your blood pressure is measured, your doctor records your systolic pressure---blood pressure that is highest when your heart beats---and your diastolic pressure---blood pressure that is lower when your heart rests. A normal blood pressure reading is a systolic pressure of 120 and a diastolic pressure of 80, or 120/80. A reading of 140/90 is considered high blood pressure. High blood pressure is a serious, life-threatening condition, but it can be controlled through medication, a healthy diet and daily physical activity that includes aerobic exercise.
Exercise and Blood Pressure
MayoClinic.com states that exercise helps you control your blood pressure by strengthening your heart and enabling it to pump blood more efficiently. The less harder your heart has to work to pump blood, the less force of blood against your arterial walls, thus a lower blood pressure. Aerobic exercise can lower your systolic pressure by an average of 5 to 10 millimeters of mercury, or mmHg. Some people with high blood pressure can reduce their need for medication by simply getting some exercise.
Exercise Hypertension
Normally, your blood pressure rises in response to your body's increased need for blood during aerobic exercise. According to Patient Health International, normal systolic pressure during peak exercise level is 200 mmHg. Some people may experience excessively high spikes in blood pressure, as high as 250 mmHg or higher, during exercise. This condition is referred to as exercise hypertension.
Research and Findings
A John Hopkins study of 35 adults ages 55 and 75 with mild hypertension suggest that exercise hypertension may be indicative of early signs of arteriosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries. In this study, resting blood pressure was measured at different occasions and then compared with blood pressure measurements taken during treadmill tests. Ultrasounds were also done to monitor blood vessel response to blood flow during exercise. The results showed a correlation between exercise hypertension and poor expansion of blood vessels. The study further suggested that blood pressure readings taken during exercise may provide a more accurate test for early signs of artery disease.
Aerobic Exercise
Aerobic exercise is more effective for controlling blood pressure than toning and strengthening exercises. You can choose any activity that you enjoy doing that increases your heart rate, such as walking, jogging, stair climbing, bicycling or swimming. The American Heart Association recommends starting out slowly in 10-minute increments and building up to 30 minutes at least five days a week.
Weight Training
Weight training can temporarily raise your blood pressure dramatically depending on the amount of weight you lift. The long-term benefits, however, outweigh the brief spike in blood pressure for most people. The key is not lifting more weight than you can lift with proper form and not holding your breath as you lift, both of which can raise blood pressure.
