Can people with high blood pressure exercise? What are the benefits and risks? Doctors explain it all!

Today a patient with high blood pressure came to me and said that after reading my article, there was an emergency doctor who cured his high blood pressure through exercise without taking antihypertensive drugs. He also didn't want to eat salt, so he asked if he could exercise?

We have always encouraged people with high blood pressure to exercise, and some people’s high blood pressure has indeed returned to normal after exercise, but that doesn’t mean that everyone can lower their blood pressure through exercise.

People with high blood pressure can exercise and are encouraged to exercise, but this only helps lower blood pressure. If exercise alone can lower blood pressure, then we wouldn't need to take antihypertensive drugs. All we would need to do is exercise every day.

Therefore, most people cannot lower their blood pressure simply by exercise.

Let us first clarify:

First, for newly discovered hypertension that is stage 1, that is, not exceeding 160/100 mmHg, it is recommended to exercise first.

Second, simple hypertension without concurrent diabetes or other cardiovascular, cerebral, and renal diseases.

Only for patients with hypertension that meets these two conditions, we recommend that they exercise first and observe whether their blood pressure can return to normal.

What is aerobic exercise?

Simply put, low-intensity, long-term exercise is aerobic exercise, such as walking, jogging, long-distance slow swimming, cycling, dancing, etc. Aerobic exercise can effectively exercise the heart, lungs and other organs, and can improve cardiovascular and pulmonary function.

So, Doctor Wang, does it mean that you don’t recommend exercise for patients with grade 2.3 hypertension?

Of course not. For stage 2 and stage 3 hypertension, exercise is only recommended after blood pressure is effectively controlled.

If stage 1 hypertension is complicated by cardiovascular, cerebral and kidney diseases, it is recommended to intervene with medication as soon as possible and exercise at the same time.

In short, simple hypertension is recommended to exercise to help control blood pressure. If blood pressure can reach the target through lifestyle changes, that is the best result. If it cannot reach the target, medication is still needed. Even when taking antihypertensive drugs, lifestyle interventions, including aerobic exercise, are necessary.

Therefore, it is difficult to effectively control blood pressure through exercise alone, but it is beneficial to stabilize blood pressure; people with hypertension can only exercise if their blood pressure is controlled below 160/100 mmHg, and aerobic exercise is recommended!

How should people with high blood pressure exercise?

When blood pressure drops below 160/100; or if the patient has cardiovascular, cerebrovascular and renal diseases and blood pressure drops below 130/80; based on personal ability and personal foundation, it is recommended to persist in long-term aerobic exercise:

Aerobic exercise refers to physical exercise performed by the human body with sufficient oxygen supply. That is, during exercise, the oxygen inhaled by the human body is equal to the demand, achieving a physiological balance.

In simple terms, aerobic exercise refers to low-intensity and rhythmic exercise that lasts for a long time, about 30 minutes or more, with a medium or medium-high intensity, 60% to 80% of the maximum heart rate. It is characterized by low intensity, rhythmic, and long duration. Each exercise should last no less than 30 minutes, and should be done 3 to 5 times a week. In this type of exercise, oxygen can fully burn (i.e. oxidize) sugar in the body, consume body fat, enhance and improve cardiopulmonary function, prevent osteoporosis, and regulate psychological and mental states. It is the main form of exercise for fitness.

The heart rate is controlled at 170-your age. This kind of exercise is good for blood pressure control and cardiopulmonary exercise.

But you must persevere!