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High blood pressure, which is considered a serious disease affecting many individuals worldwide, can lead to serious health risks including heart disease, stroke and kidney failure if not well controlled.
One question that most high blood pressure patients often ask is whether it is better to rest or exercise.
The response is ambiguous and contingent upon the specific situation of each person. In this article, we will tell you some simple ways to exercise and rest in relation to blood pressure.
Understanding High Blood Pressure
Before we talk about whether one should rest or exercise, it is important to make sure we know about high blood pressure. The force that your blood applies to the walls of your blood vessels is known as blood pressure.
When experienced at consistently high levels, the pressure on your heart and blood vessels is too high leading to the possibility of a number of health problems.
Blood pressure readings are given in two numbers: it is divided into systolic (the pressure when your heart beats) and diastolic (the pressure when your heart rests between beats).
The ideal blood pressure of subjects should be around 120 to 80 millimeters of mercury. Most HTN develops when blood pressure readings are above 140/90 mmHg.
Hypertension can be classified into two types:
- Primary hypertension - The most common kind of hypertension, known as primary hypertension, appears gradually over a number of years. There is no single cause, but heredity, unhealthy dietary regime, physical inactivity and obesity are blamed.
- Secondary hypertension - This type arises from an underlying medical condition such as kidney disease, hormonal disorders or medication use. It occurs suddenly and if left unchecked, it results in higher blood pressure levels than essential hypertension.
The function of relaxation in lowering blood pressure
Everyone needs rest and some time off, moreover, it is especially important for those who are suffering from high blood pressure.
When you sleep, especially, when you are getting good sleep, your body goes through the process of repairing itself as well as regulating your blood pressure. Here is why relaxation is important:
- Reduces stress - This is because stress has a long-term effect on the body which plays a major role in causing high blood pressure. When you are stressed, the muscles produce hormones that force your heart to beat faster and constrict your blood vessels which leads to high blood pressure. This is true in the case of relaxation as sleep is a special way to relax and unwind as it has the health benefits of reducing stress and high blood pressure induced by pressure or stress.
- Improves heart health - Sleeping benefits your heart as much as it provides it with an opportunity to rest from the day’s activities. If your hypertensive heart works harder without getting a chance to rest, it results in heart disease which is one of the major factors associated with high blood pressure.
- Balances hormones - Sleeping helps in the process of secretion of hormones that have an impact on the regulation of blood pressure. Inadequate sleep and rest can also affect such hormones leading to increased blood pressure levels.
However, it must be kept in mind that rest is good, but too much rest or lack of activity is not. Prolonged sedentary conditions often lead to obesity and are a predisposing factor for high blood pressure.
Role of Exercise in Managing Hypertension
That is why exercise is on this list: Exercise is usually prescribed as the first line therapy for hypertension.
Physical exercise that makes the heart work positively improves its ability to pump blood and thus reduces the pressure on the arteries.
Here is how exercise benefits people with hypertension:
- Lowers blood pressure - As per research conducted earlier, aerobic exercises like jogging for ten weeks can help achieve the same results as blood pressure medication in managing systolic BP. It reduces blood pressure to a great extent thereby reducing the risk factor for cardiovascular diseases.
- Promotes weight loss - Physical activities enable a person to maintain a good weight, and since hypertension is usually associated with obesity, obesity tends to increase the pressure within the heart as the blood vessels of the body exert a lot of pressure to force blood circulation to the tissues. Controlling even a 5% weight loss can have a significant impact on blood pressure levels.
- Reduces stress and anxiety - Exercise promotes the release of chemicals called endorphins which can be called the 'happiness hormones'. Since high blood pressure can be caused by stress and excessive anxiety, these hormones aid in calming the body and mind.
- Improves blood circulation - One of the benefits of exercising is that blood circulates regularly which reduces the pressure on the arteries.
- Increases heart strength - This can mean that, a stronger heart has the ability to pump more blood in a shorter period of time with much less effort than it would in a week. This means that the less work your heart has to do, the less strain there will be on your arteries.
Exercises that are beneficial for hypertension
Not just any exercise can be encouraged to control high blood pressure.
These are a few of the more advantageous kinds:
- Aerobic exercises - Exercises such as walking, jogging, swimming or cycling should be done to reduce blood pressure levels. Adults should involve themselves in at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity a week.
- Strength training - Body chlorination along with lifting weights or using resistance bands can lower blood pressure as it increases muscle contractions in pumping fluids and improves muscle use of insulin to control blood pressure.
- Flexibility and balance exercises - Although exercises such as yoga and tai chi do not lower blood pressure, they relieve stress and encourage healthy living, hence good blood pressure.
- High-intensity interval training (HIIT) - The concept used in HIIT exercise is fluctuation between high-intensity exercise and rest intervals. Though this type of exercise proves to be very beneficial for the heart and also ensures a reduction in high blood pressure, a medical check-up is required before engaging in this type of exercise.
Balance rest and exercise
So, is it better to rest or exercise when you have high blood pressure? This implies that none or both can be the response.
While rest is important for the body to recover and de-stress, exercise is crucial in lowering blood pressure and thus improving heart health. Here are some tips on how to balance the two:
- Listen to your body - While exercising and immediately after, try to be aware of what brings out the worst in you. Some signs are also physical such as dizziness, chest pain and whoever is affected should understand that he needs more rest if he is tired.
- Incorporate active rest - But this does not mean that you cannot move your body muscles on days when you do not exercise. Do exercises that do not put pressure on your heart such as stretching, walking or a round of yoga.
- Make sleep a priority - It is advised that you get between seven and nine hours of sleep each night since both the length and quality of your sleep can have a negative impact on your health. To lower your blood pressure and strengthen your body, it is very important to get a good night’s sleep.
- Start slowly - It is recommended that if a person is just starting to exercise or has stage 1 hypertension, they should first do low-intensity exercises and then increase the intensity as the body gets used to it.
- Consult your doctor - It is recommended to consult a doctor before starting any type of exercise program, especially if a person suffers from hypertension. They can give you advice and help in planning how to train effectively to achieve your goals safely.
When to prioritize rest over exercise
While exercise is generally beneficial for people with high blood pressure, there are situations where rest should be prioritized:
- When you are unwell - If you have any health complications or are suffering from any illness, it is advisable that you allow your body to work on the recovery process. Exercising against better judgement puts your heart under a lot of stress and takes longer to recover.
- When you are too tired - If a person feels more tired than usual which is an abnormal feeling, it is a sign that he or she needs sleep. This is because overtraining is likely to lead to burnout and increase stress levels which in turn tend to increase blood pressure.
- If you have an injury - If you have any kind of injury, you must ensure to take a break from your usual activities. When one has an injury, it is wise not to exercise to recover quickly as it may complicate the situation even more.
- If you have chest pain or shortness of breath - These are symptoms that indicate a possible cause of a serious pathology. If you notice these or any other symptoms of nutcracker syndrome, you should stop exercising and consult a doctor.
In summary
In summary, it is important to note that while the role of rest cannot be underestimated when it comes to controlling high blood pressure, exercise is also very important.
Both are good for human health and should not be eliminated or replaced by one another. By resting, your body is relieved of stress and regenerates, but by exercising, your heart becomes more powerful, blood circulation improves and rising blood pressure can be controlled.
If you use your common sense, decide that you rest as well as exercise, and seek medical advice, high blood pressure can be controlled and perhaps even prevented.
This is especially true if you are just starting your program towards a healthier lifestyle or are already in the process of recovering.
The simple strategies in this article show that it is possible to control your blood pressure through a combination of rest and exercise routines.