With the whole Internet raging about the super curative effects of exercise for high blood pressure, should you jump into the gym and try out just any workout? No. Some of these exercises may be dangerous if you have high blood pressure.
Caution is of the essence when exercising if you have high blood pressure. The intensity, duration, or distribution of your exercise regimen are worth considering if you are hypertensive.
Before we dive into the exercises to avoid if you have high blood pressure, how does your blood pressure typically respond to exercise?
Examining how exercise affects blood pressure
It is not abnormal for blood pressure to rise when you perform sustained physical activity, like exercises. However, these hikes in blood pressure don’t last long in healthy people.
Upon the termination of exercise, cells relax and blood pressure slowly slides down to normal levels. However, for people with cardiovascular handicaps, their blood pressure is impeded from readily returning to normalcy after exercises.
As set by the Centers for Disease Control, normal blood pressure level doesn’t exceed 120/80 mm Hg.
This means a diastolic pressure reading of under 80 mm Hg and a systolic pressure reading under 120 mm Hg.
Now exercises hike systolic blood pressure. The latter measures blood pressure level based on artery pressure due to the contracting of the heart muscle.