Fitness activities have a positive effect on your blood pressure and can help you control blood pressure problems (references 1,2,3). You may want to check with your doctor before beginning a fitness regimen if you are a man older than 40 or a woman over 50. Always remember to warm up your body, then ease into fitness activities and cool down afterward to reduce your risk of injury. Listen to your body and avoid pain, dizziness or shortness of breath.
High Blood Pressure
Your blood pressure is the amount of blood your heart pumps and the amount of resistance to blood flowing through your arteries. Your arteries get narrower and your blood pressure goes up as your heart pumps more blood. High blood pressure, or hypertension, occurs when the force of blood against your artery walls is so great that it may lead to health problems like heart disease (references 1,3). High blood pressure develops over many years and affects nearly everyone eventually.
Physical Activity
The lack of physical activity, obesity or being over weight increases your risk for developing high blood pressure (references 1,3). Your heart rate is higher if you have a sedentary lifestyle. A higher heart rate requires your heart to work harder with each contraction, which increases the force of blood against your arteries. The Mayo Clinic and the National Institutes of Health recommends performing at least 30 minutes of physical activity every day to help control high blood pressure.
Physical Fitness
Regular physical activity helps make your heart stronger. A stronger heart can pump more blood with less effort. Pumping blood with less effort reduces the force of blood against your arteries and lowers your blood pressure. Physical fitness may help you reduce your blood pressure as effectively as some blood pressure medications. According to the Mayo Clinic, you may see the effect of increasing your physical activity by performing regular exercise for one to three months.
Weight Training
Weight training can temporarily increase your blood pressure, but the long-term benefits of weight training may outweigh a temporary spike in blood pressure. Do not hold your breath when you exert force during weight training. Holding your breath can cause dangerous spikes in blood pressure. Breath continuously throughout your weight training activity. Lift lighter weights at high repetitions instead of heavier weights at low repetitions.
Aerobic Activity
Moderate aerobic activity can control your high blood pressure. You can get the aerobic activity you need to control high blood pressure at home. Household chores like mowing the lawn, scrubbing or raking leaves may provide you with 30 minutes of moderate physical activity. You can climb a staircase, go for a jog or ride a bike with your family around your neighborhood. You can try to accomplish 30 minutes at once or break it up into three 10-minute sessions throughout the day.
