Hypertensive Response to Exercise

Blood-pressure elevation in response to an exercise-induced stimulus is perfectly natural, but on occasion it can be a cause for alarm. There are certain steps you can take to minimize the dangers posed by exercise-induced hypertension, helping you to stay safe while you guard your long-term health through a routine of rigorous and regular training.

Hypertension

• Hypertension is nothing more than the medical term for high blood pressure. Blood pressure is simply a set of numbers used to represent the amount of pressure being exerted on the interior of your arteries by the force of blood being pumped through. Symptoms of hypertension include localized pain in the chest, buzzing in the ears or transient confusion.

Hypertension and Exercise

• Exercise causes a natural rise in blood pressure as the oxygen demands of the body increase in response to the stress of training. Although blood pressure rises temporarily in response to exercise, regular exercise can help to lower your resting blood pressure as the body becomes increasingly efficient at meeting the oxygen demands of your muscles.

Reducing Hypertension

• According to Michele Silence, a 20-year fitness consultant, regulating your breathing during training is one possible way to avoid developing a hypertentive response to training. Whether you are lifting weights or jogging, you should be paying attention to your breathing at all times to avoid spiking your blood pressure needlessly. Take steady, measured breaths to control your heart rate during training.

Diet

• A study conducted at Johns Hopkins University published in the April 2004 issue of the American Journal of Hypertension AJH) indicated that individuals who have a hypertensive response to training are more likely to develop high blood pressure in the future. Dr. Gabe Mirkin, author of "The Healthy Heart Miracle," recommends adhering to a blood-pressure diet, limiting your consumption of red meat, saturated fat and trans fats, while increasing your consumption of whole grains, fruits and vegetables.

Exercise Recommendations

• According to the experts at the Mayo Clinic, at least 30 minutes per day of cardiovascular exercise can help you reap the rewards of lowered blood pressure. Note that any type of activity that is moderately challenging can help to achieve your goal. This includes brisk walking, mowing the lawn or shoveling snow. Make small changes to help increase your fitness, such as parking farther away from buildings or walking the course while golfing instead of renting a cart.