Regular exercise helps you maintain a normal blood pressure, and is often included in programs to treat high blood pressure and heart disease. Remember to talk to your physician before beginning any type of exercise program, as some activities may be harmful if you have hypertensive cardiomyopathy.
Hypertensive Cardiomyopathy
High blood pressure, or hypertension, makes the heart work harder, and over time causes hypertensive heart diseases such as coronary artery disease, heart failure and thickening of the heart muscle. "Cardiomyopathy" refers to enlarged or thickened heart muscles caused by a variety of conditions, including infections, heart attacks, genetics and high blood pressure, according to MedlinePlus. Hypertensive cardiomyopathy specifically refers to enlarged heart muscle caused by high blood pressure.
Prevention and Treatment
Hypertensive cardiomyopathy may be prevented by keeping your blood pressure within normal limits. Regular checkups, monitoring your blood pressure, maintaining a healthy weight and eating a balanced diet are the keys to prevention. Early detection of hypertension allows you to immediately begin treatment to reduce the chance of it progressing to hypertensive cardiomyopathy. Depending on the severity of your blood pressure, overall health and family history, your doctor may prescribe medication, recommend changes in diet to reduce fat and salt intake, and advise you to stop smoking. Regular exercise, or an exercise plan to reduce weight, is an important part of treatment.
Benefits
Physical activity reduces your risk of developing hypertension. If you have prehypertension, or slightly elevated blood pressure, regular exercise may stop it from progressing to hypertension; if you've already been diagnosed with high blood pressure, studies show that exercise helps lower it, according to Johns Hopkins.
Exercise Recommendations
Aerobic exercises are your best choice for lowering blood pressure. Aerobic activities, such as walking, bicycling, swimming and dancing, should be done for 30 to 60 minutes at least three days a week, according to Johns Hopkins, though the American Heart Association recommends 30 minutes of aerobic exercise five days a week. If you can't find the time to do 30 minutes all at once, break it down into 10 minutes several times a day. Look for ways to work aerobic exercise into your daily routine -- take the stairs, park farther away and look for opportunities to walk to your destination.
Warnings
Never begin an exercise program until you talk to your doctor. This is important if you are not active or already have high blood pressure; it's critical if you have symptoms such as chest pain, shortness of breath or dizziness, or if you've been diagnosed with hypertensive cardiomyopathy or other chronic health problems. Rely on your doctor's advice about the type and amount of exercise that will be safe for your condition. Johns Hopkins advises that resistance exercises -- weightlifting and using resistance equipment -- do not effectively lower blood pressure, and may actually cause blood pressure to rise to dangerous levels in people with hypertension. If you have hypertensive cardiomyopathy, avoid heavy lifting or activities like shoveling snow unless you've received approval from your physician.
