High blood pressure has almost no symptoms but can cause serious health problems including heart disease. Worse, it's a common condition among American adults. Fortunately, your doctor can easily detect whether you have elevated blood pressure, and you can control it with a combination of diet, medication and exercise. That's where aerobic workouts come in: Just 30 minutes of exercise a day can help you change your life and get your blood pressure back under control.
Causes of Hypertension
Hypertension as a condition in which the pressure of your blood against your artery walls is so high that it can cause health problems. For most adults, there's no identifiable cause of high blood pressure; it develops gradually throughout your life and is often linked to narrow arteries and cholesterol buildup. For some, hypertension can be caused or aggravated by kidney problems, tumors, medication and drug use. Smoking, having a poor diet, being overweight and drinking too much can raise your risk of high blood pressure. Physical inactivity is also a contributing factor, because sedentary people's hearts tend to beat faster and work harder.
Function of Aerobic Exercise
Aerobic exercise is any type of activity that makes your heart and breathing rates rise. When you're physically active, your muscles need more oxygen; your heart and lungs must work harder to take in more oxygen to your bloodstream. According to the "New York Times Health Guide," aerobic exercise strengthens your heart just like it strengthens the other muscles of your body.
Effects of Aerobic Exercise
A 2002 study published in the "Annals of Internal Medicine" found that aerobic exercise had an "impressive blood pressure-lowering effect." The study's authors found that regular exercise reduced blood pressure significantly, even when it didn't lower patients' weight or other health risks. The "New York Times" explains that a stronger heart muscle is more effective at pumping blood: It can perform its job without working very hard. When your heart is healthy, it provides a steadier stream of oxygenated blood to your body, which in turn may improve the health of your arteries.
Expert Recommendation
The American Heart Association recommends that everyone should get at least 30 minutes a day of aerobic exercise, most days of the week. That means raising your heart rate to between 50 and 85 percent of its maximum. Regular aerobic exercise can lower your blood pressure. It may also help you cut back on stress, smoking and other hypertension risk factors. However, if you're sedentary, overweight, older or suffering from a chronic condition, you should check with your doctor before beginning an exercise regimen.
Potential
For many people, high blood pressure is controllable without medication. The key to managing your hypertension is a combination of lifestyle change and regular exercise. If you can commit to quitting smoking, cutting back on alcohol and salt, eating healthy foods and exercising daily, you can greatly improve the health of your heart and arteries and may be able to avoid taking costly blood pressure medication. Talk to your doctor about a plan that's right for you.
