High blood pressure. Lower blood pressure with exercise.

Hypertension - can I exercise with high blood pressure?

Elevated blood pressure severely restricts the quality of life of those affected. You quickly get out of breath. Even climbing stairs sends your pulse soaring in no time. But what about exercise? Can you exercise with high blood pressure at all and, if so, which kind?

How does high blood pressure develop?

The predisposition to high blood pressure can be inherited. But genetics alone is rarely to blame when the heart keeps beating at full speed. An interplay of various factors probably leads to people suffering from high blood pressure. Known risk factors for high blood pressure are excess weight, chronic stress, heavy alcohol consumption and an unbalanced diet. Above all, you should stay away from salty fast food if you don't want to develop high blood pressure. Pizza, burgers and french fries are considered "empty calories".

They provide plenty of carbohydrates and therefore short-term energy, but they also cause your insulin level to spike suddenly. In addition, most fast food dishes are very salty, yet contain few minerals and trace elements such as potassium. When the insulin level drops again, cravings for food return quickly. So fast food doesn't really fill you up, but may well make you sick. It increases the risk of developing high blood pressure.

Besides a healthy diet and sufficient phases of rest and relaxation with an adequate amount of sleep, you should also make sure to move regularly, so that you don't develop high blood pressure in the first place. But what if your blood pressure is already elevated or too high?

What does high blood pressure mean?

Blood pressure is given as two values. The systolic blood pressure indicates the pressure against the vessel walls that arises when the heart contracts. The blood is thereby pumped from the heart into the main artery and finally distributed throughout the rest of the body. The resulting pulse wave can also be felt far from the heart, for example at the wrist, as blood pressure. The smaller value, the diastolic blood pressure, is when the heart expands to take in fresh blood. A negative pressure is created.

During physical exertion and in stressful situations, the heart beats faster and pumps more forcefully. Arterial blood pressure is therefore raised in such moments and can reach systolic values of 170 mmHG (millimetres of mercury). If such high values become a permanent state, it is hypertension or pathologically elevated blood pressure.

Blood pressure too high - how common is high blood pressure?

The severity of high blood pressure is distinguished in stages. Systolic blood pressure values between 140 and 180 mmHg and diastolic values between 90 and 105 mmHg indicate mild hypertension. If a limit of 180/105 mmHg is exceeded, the doctor speaks of moderate to severe high blood pressure. If the elevated blood pressure remains untreated, it endangers a number of other organs. High blood pressure is therefore a serious health risk that increases the likelihood of stroke, heart attack and other secondary diseases. The permanently increased vascular pressure can, for example, damage the delicate retina and thus lead to visual disturbances.

According to a recent study, the World Health Organization (WHO) assumes that around 25 percent of the world's population suffers from pathologically elevated blood pressure - a figure that could rise to around 29 percent by 2025.

To treat high blood pressure, blood pressure lowering medication is often prescribed. In addition, patients can themselves contribute to improving their blood pressure, for example through a varied diet. But exercise is also a common method against high blood pressure.

Exercise with high blood pressure - what is allowed and makes sense?

Those who suffer from high blood pressure may be surprised that exercise is a possible approach in treating their complaints. After all, they are often exhausted after even minor exertion. Carrying the shopping home seems like a Herculean task. Now I'm supposed to exercise as well?

Yes, because over the long term, regular exercise can lower your blood pressure. However, not every type of exercise is suitable for people with hypertension. You already know that exercise can cause blood pressure values to shoot up in the short term.

An ergometric test examines how the heart reacts to physical exertion. High blood pressure peaks are a particular risk for people with high blood pressure. They occur when sprinting or playing ball sports, but can also be read on the electrocardiogram during the ergometric examination. The difficulty is gradually increased, so that you have to pedal harder and harder. Demands like these, which bring you to your physical limits, are an excellent diagnostic tool for doctors, but not suitable for your exercise routine.

Exercise regularly, but do it right

If you want to use exercise to treat high blood pressure, you should take it slowly. Like all other muscles, the heart muscle first needs to be trained. Muscle soreness in the heart? You don't want that, because it would amount to a heart attack. Moderate movement without high peaks of strain is ideal. Activities such as walking or leisurely cycling are a good choice. Endurance sports are preferable to dynamic sports such as badminton or cardio training.

When cycling, you determine the pace, whereas when playing badminton you always have to chase the shuttlecock, exactly as it comes. The jerky alternation between rest and movement leads to short-term peak strain, as in sprinting. Ball sports are therefore less recommended for high blood pressure.

In addition to endurance exercise, you can do strength training. But just as with cycling and walking, you should not overdo it, especially at the beginning. Increase slowly but steadily, whether it is the weight you want to lift or the distance you want to cover: remember the tortoise and the hare. Be smart and listen to your body.

Mindful training with a competent coach - how to exercise with elevated blood pressure

Before you use the machines in the fitness centre, you should check with your doctor which type of exercise is suitable for you. In a fitness studio, a competent coach is key. Have the exercises on the machines explained to you and perform them initially under a coach's supervision. This reduces the risk of injury during exercise.

Conscious breathing and precise body work are smoothly combined in the following form of exercise: yoga. Training on the mat, for which you only need to bring comfortable clothing, is well suited to treating high blood pressure. Various modern yoga styles have emerged in recent years, tailored to different needs.

While sweat-inducing Bikram yoga in a heated room is not the best choice for high blood pressure, you will benefit from the relaxing effect of Restorative and Yin yoga. Also interesting: yoga according to B. K. S. Iyengar. This yoga, developed further by the Indian yoga teacher, uses various aids (props) such as blocks, straps or cushions to respond to the individual needs of practitioners. Anyone who is restricted in movement due to an illness can still take the yoga poses with the help of props and train according to their own abilities.

Every training session should take place under expert guidance and be adapted to your individual situation. Talk to your doctor beforehand about whether exercise is suitable for treating your complaints with elevated blood pressure.

Good luck!