- Training to control high blood pressure
- Benefits of exercise for high blood pressure
- Signs that you should stop exercising
Regular physical activity is a great option to control high blood pressure, also called hypertension, because it favors blood circulation, increases the strength of the heart and improves breathing capacity. Some of the recommended activities are walking, swimming, water aerobics and weight training at least 3 times a week for at least 30 minutes.
However, before starting to exercise, it is important for the person with hypertension to go to the doctor for a general evaluation, including blood and heart tests to find out if they are able to exercise without limitations and, before each workout should measure the pressure and start the activity only if the pressure is less than 140/90 mmHg.
In addition to exercise, it is important to maintain a balanced and healthy diet, low in salt, without sausages and snacks and, in some cases, resorting to the use of medicines indicated by the doctor to lower the pressure, helping to keep the pressure within normal values, which are 120/80 mmHg.
Training to control high blood pressure
To lower the pressure, physical activities should be performed every day that contribute to lower heart rate, increase the strength of the heart and increase the ease of breathing. Thus, in order to control hypertension, one must perform:
- Aerobic exercises, such as walking, swimming, dancing or cycling, for example, at least 3 times a week for at least 30 minutes at light to moderate intensity that increase cardiorespiratory capacity; Anaerobic exercises, at least twice a week and that can involve weight exercises and help to strengthen the muscles, performing 8 to 10 exercises with many repetitions, between 15 and 20, but few sets and with sets, 1 to 2, for example.
It is important that the person with high blood pressure does the physical activities according to the instructor's guidance, as this way it is possible to control the variations of pressure, rhythm and heart rates, in addition to preventing blood pressure from increasing too much during the effort.
Benefits of exercise for high blood pressure
With regular practice of physical activities, it is possible that blood pressure decreases at rest, during exercise and after exercise, and may decrease from 7 to 10 mmHg in relation to the initial pressure values. In addition, due to the regulation of blood pressure, there is an improvement in respiratory capacity and an increase in heart strength, promoting health.
The effect of physical exercise is more effective in mild or moderate stages of hypertension, avoiding in some cases the use of drugs to lower the pressure indicated by the doctor or leading to a decrease in the dose of antihypertensive drugs necessary to control the disease.
Watch this video and check out more tips to control hypertension:
Signs that you should stop exercising
Some people, especially those who are not used to physical activity, may show some signs and symptoms and are indicative that it is better to stop physical activity, such as severe headache with dizziness, double vision, bleeding from the nose, ringing in the ear and feeling sick.
After signs and symptoms appear, it is important to measure blood pressure to see if exercise should be stopped and if the person needs to go to the hospital. During the measurement, if it is found that the maximum pressure, which is the first to appear on the monitor, is close to 200 mmHg, it is necessary to stop doing the activity, as there is a greater chance of developing a heart problem. Then wait for the pressure to drop slowly, and the value should be lower after 30 minutes of rest.
In addition, the patient with hypertension should always measure the pressure before starting any activity to know if he is able to perform the exercise, and should only start exercising if he has a pressure below 140/90 mmHg. Know more symptoms of high blood pressure.
