If you are diagnosed with high blood pressure, or hypertension, you do not need to abandon your regular running schedule. In fact, running, like other aerobic exercise, has been shown to reduce hypertension and may even reduce the amount of blood pressure medication you need. Managing your high blood pressure is crucial, and running can be one aspect of your treatment plan.
Benefits of Running for Hypertension
The American Council on Exercise has reported that regular exercise can help reduce your hypertension by 19 to 30 percent. Aerobic exercise like running is the most effective at combating high blood pressure. Camden County College posted the results of a study where runners experienced not only a decrease in blood pressure immediately after running, but for up to seven hours post-exercise. The researchers observed that this benefit from running has the potential to help you reduce the amount of medication needed to treat hypertension.
Running Longer
Marathon runners in particular have less incidence of high blood pressure, and for those who do have hypertension, the extra mileage from long-distance running seems to help manage and reduce it. By increasing the amount you run gradually, you may lessen the degree of your hypertension or decrease the amount of medication required.
Blood Pressure Medications
Various medications are prescribed to treat high blood pressure. The common classes of drugs are beta blockers, diuretics, ACE inhibitors, and calcium channel blockers. Each medication can have side effects and may affect each person differently. The side effects often reported in relation to running are increased frequency of urination from diuretics, fatigue and dizziness from all classes of medication, and an inability for heart rate to rise during exercise from beta blockers. If you are being treated with medication for hypertension, it is important for you to work with your physician to find the right medication for you.
Exercise-Induced Hypertension
Researchers from the University of Maryland found an alarming case of heart disease in an otherwise healthy marathon runner. They observed that his blood pressure rose so high while running that he met the definition of exercise-induced hypertension. Because of his running schedule, this result indicated that he was likely in the blood pressure danger zone on a daily basis. It is difficult to identify exercise-induced hypertension and therefore, difficult to manage it effectively. The researchers are investigating ways to better detect this risk. However, the possibility of exercise-induced hypertension should not discourage anyone from an exercise program.
References
- American Council on Exercise: Exercise and Hypertension - Fit Fact from the American Council on Exercise
- Camden County College: Effects of Treadmill Running and Resistance
- University of New Mexico: Can You Go the Distance...to Better Health?
- American Heart Association: Types of Blood Pressure Medications
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Heart Disease and Marathon
