Blood Pressure During Exercise

High blood pressure affects more than 40 million Americans, with an estimated two million new cases each year. A common prescription for dealing with high blood pressure is to exercise more often. Read on to learn how and why this approach is effective.

What Is Hypertension?

• Hypertension is a medical condition in which blood pressure is elevated beyond average or safe levels. Blood pressure is affected by the size of the arteries and the amount of blood pumped by the heart. Blood pressure increases when the heart pumps a lot of blood or arteries are too narrow and resist blood flow.
  There are two measured types of blood pressure, systolic and diastolic. Systolic is the peak blood pressure when the arteries are contracting, while diastolic is the minimum level of pressure. Blood pressure readings are normally written out as systolic-over-diastolic fraction and measured in mmHg.
  According to an article by Len Kravitz, an associate professor at the University of New Mexico, hypertension is defined as resting blood pressure greater than 140/90 mmHg.

Benefits of Aerobic Exercise

• According to Kravitz, aerobic exercise is useful in fighting high blood pressure, though it's unclear why, suggesting it may trigger changes in blood vessel walls that increase the overall relaxation of the vessels.
  The American Heart Association (AHA) says that aerobic exercise challenges your circulatory system to deliver large amounts of oxygen throughout your body, causing your heart to beat faster. During exercise, systolic pressure rises to meet your body's oxygen demand, while diastolic blood pressure remains fairly constant.
  Thirty to 45 minutes of moderate cardiovascular exercise a day can help lower systolic and diastolic resting blood pressures. Examples of aerobic exercises include running, walking, biking and swimming.

Benefits of Resistance Training

• Resistance exercises may lower your blood pressure, though likely not to the degree that aerobic exercises do.
  There has not been much definitive research into the effects of resistance training on hypertension, according to Kravitz. There was a meta-analysis that suggested resistance exercise may decrease systolic pressure by 2 percent and diastolic pressure by 4 percent.
  The AHA says that resistance training is usually discouraged for patients with coronary disease because, despite an increase in cardiac activity, blood flow to muscles that aren't being worked doesn't increase much.

Symptoms of High Blood Pressure

• Hypertension can be dangerous if left unchecked, as it can contribute to kidney disease, heart attacks, strokes and aneurysms. Some minor and less dangerous symptoms include nosebleeds, headaches and dizziness.

Causes and Prevention

• Hypertension usually develops over time, and 90 to 95 percent of cases of high blood pressure in adults have no clear cause beyond aging, according to the Mayo Clinic. The remaining instances of hypertension can be a result of drugs, kidney problems, heart-related birth defects, and tumors on the adrenal gland.
  The best way to avoid high blood, or at least keep it manageable, is to eat a healthy diet, exercise regularly and avoid drugs and alcohol.