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Exercise and Hypertension
Reducing Blood Pressure Naturally
As many as 50 million adult Americans have hypertension. It is one of the most prevalent diseases in our society. An abnormal blood pressure is considered a reading of 140/90 millimeters of Mercury (a normal reading is 120/80 mm Hg or below). Unchecked hypertension can lead to strokes and heart failure. It is called a silent killer because many people don't recognize any symptoms until a major event occurs. High blood pressure is more common in blacks and persons with a lower socioeconomic background. There are many risk factors for high blood pressure - such as age, race, heredity, and sex, but the most interesting statistic about this disease is that most of the risk factors - obesity, stress levels, sodium intake, physical inactivity, use of certain drugs - are all controllable.



We are going to take a close look at exercise as a treatment for hypertension. The reason exercise works is because during conditioning, vessels dilate to increase blood supply. This vasodilation reduces the pressure exerted against the artery walls. What exercises are best for doing this? There are many options. One of the more interesting aspects of exercise training in hypertension, is that many types of exercise are beneficial, and conditioning programs for high blood pressure regulation "cross over" into the area of mind body fitness.

Traditional Programs
Studies done in exercise labs report that low intensity walking and cycling programs do very well in reducing blood pressure in mild hypertensive persons. Therefore, many clinically-based programs emphasized moderate aerobic training for blood pressure recovery, and tended to avoid heavy strength training because in weight lifters their systolic blood pressure (the top number) increased substantially. Later research showed that moderate strength programs increased systolic pressure slightly, but after exercise, blood pressure was reduced. Also - avoiding holding one's breath during lifting was also found to reduce blood pressure.

What we have found in the past ten years is that other types of programs may also have an impact on blood pressure control. Basic movement exercises like Tai Chi and Qi Gong have an impact in reducing high blood pressure. Relaxation exercises like meditation and breathing also have tremendous benefits. Chair aerobics, movement therapy, dance therapy, and water aerobics all have been reported to improve blood pressure status to a degree, independent of medication status.

These reports open the door for many seniors who may be suffering from even mild high blood pressure to begin a low level program of breathing, movement, and light aerobic and strength programs as part of their commitment to reduce their blood pressure.



So - what IS a good program for blood pressure reduction? Starting off with Week 1-2 of daily walking (goal is 5-6 days per week) along with five minutes of stretches and breathing exercises afterwards. The next two weeks entail light dumb bell exercises for chest, back, and hips along with moderate aerobics. After the first month - try a new exercise. Incorporate yoga videos, or relaxation cassettes into your workout. Remember to monitor your pressure with a home blood pressure cuff. It is the easiest way to record your pressure levels before and after exercise.

Week 1-2                      Type of Exercise                   Duration                      Intensity                                             Walking                              10-15 min.                   Light + 5 min.                                                                                                                      of stretching
Week 3-4                      Walking, home                      10-30 min.                   Moderate                                       exercise machine

Week 4 on                    Above exercises, or 30 min. +                                  Moderate                                        yoga, T'ai Chi, Qi Gong, etc.

 * Remember to monitor blood pressure readings after exercise

References
van Baak MA. Exercise and hypertension: facts and uncertainties. Br J Sports Med, 32(1):6-10 1998

Arakawa K . Effect of exercise on hypertension and associated complications. Hypertens Res, 19 Suppl 1():S87-91 1996

Patel, C. Yoga and biofeedback in the management of hypertension. Lancet. I 1053, 1973.

Petrella RJ . How effective is exercise training for the treatment of hypertension? Clin J Sport Med, 8(3):224-31 1998

Sancier, K. The medical applications of Qi Gong. Alt. Ther. in Health and Med. 2;1:40-46, 1996.

Tipton, CM. Exercise, training, and hypertension: an update. Exercise and Sport Sciences Reviews. 19:447-506, 1991.

Good Reading
Benson, H. The Relaxation Response. Wiley and Sons, New York, 1986.