High blood pressure increases your risk of serious and potentially deadly health problems. Healthy lifestyle choices like exercise factor heavily in controlling hypertension. Resistance training, or strength training, involves any activity that makes the muscle contract. Examples include the use of resistance bands, lifting free weights, and performing leg exercises like lunges and squats. Resistance training can help keep blood pressure under control but the presence of hypertension poses some risks, and thus, you must take certain precautions.
Resistance Training vs. Aerobic Exercise
While any type of exercise benefits the heart, aerobic activity offers optimal benefit for hypertension compared to resistance training. Prolonged, cardiovascular exercise strengthens the heart, which helps it pump blood more efficiently and with less effort. It also promotes healthy blood vessels. While strength training will make a great tool for managing blood pressure, the National Center for Physical Activity and Disability cautions against using it as your primary form of exercise for controlling high blood pressure as hypertension will not respond as strongly to this type of exercise. One exception is circuit training, which combines short, intense bursts of cardiovascular exercise with resistance training.
Effectiveness
Len Kravitz Ph.D, researcher and exercise science professor at the University of New Mexico, says research has shown circuit training lowers blood pressure. A study that appeared in a June 2003 issue of the "Journal of Applied Physiology" looked at the effects of strength training on healthy volunteers with normal blood pressure. They performed three sessions of whole-body strength training weekly for eight weeks. A non-exercising group served as a control. Researchers found that strength training appears to lower both systolic and diastolic blood pressure when at rest. However, other studies have produced mixed results on the effect of resistance training on hypertension.
Blood Pressure Response During Exercise
While strength training might help control blood pressure, it actually raises it during a session. You must exercise caution if you have hypertension or any other risk factors for heart disease. The degree to which blood pressure will rise depends on many factors such as how long you hold a movement, intensity, and the amount of muscle involved in the exercise. Suggestions to keep blood pressure under control during resistance training include lifting less weight for more repetitions rather than lifiting heavier weights for fewer repetitions, and not holding your breath. Stop exercising immediately if you feel dizzy, lightheaded or out of breath. To ensure a safe resistance exercise program, consult a personal trainer or other fitness professional who can help you design a routine and offer proper guidance.
Recommendations
The National Center on Physical Activity and Disability recommends strength training two to three days a week. The American College of Sports Medicine suggests doing eight to 12 repetitions of eight to 10 exercises per session. Avoid working the same group of muscles two days in a row.
References
- Mayo Clinic: Exercise: A Drug-Free Approach to Lowering High Blood Pressure
- University of New Mexico: Resistance Training: Adaptations and Health Implications; Len Kravitz Ph.D;
- "Journal of Applied Physiology": Strength Training Reduces Arterial Blood Pressure But Not Sympathetic Neural Activity in Young Normotensive Subjects;Jason R. Carter, et al.; June 2003
- National Center on Physical Activity and Disability: Hypertension - Strength Training Guidelines
- American College of Sports Medicine: Physical Activity Guidelines
