MegaNatural^®-BP is a great start to managing your blood pressure, but chances are good that your doctor has also advised you to get more exercise as part of your health regimen.

Why do you need to exercise?

Exercising regularly strengthens your heart, so it can pump with less effort. That decreases the force on your arteries, lowering your blood pressure. In fact, some experts estimate that exercise can lower your systolic blood pressure (the top reading) by 5-10 millimeters of mercury, about as much as some blood pressure medications.

Keep after it! It may take as long as three months for you to start seeing the benefits of exercise in your blood pressure readings.

Where should you start?

Is walking enough? Do free weights count? First, if just the word ‘exercise’ makes you shudder, start thinking instead of ‘physical activity’. You don’t need to spend hours in the gym. Most anything that increases your breathing and heart rate will count including scrubbing floors, walking, swimming, raking leaves and climbing stairs.

On most days, you should be doing at least 30 minutes of aerobic activity. It’s okay to break that up into three, 10-minute sessions.

What about weight training?

Ask your doctor if it’s safe for you to start weight training. It can have great long-term benefits for blood pressure, but it can also temporarily cause it to increase. Some precautions specific to weight lifting:

• Breath normally. Holding your breath as you lift can cause your blood pressure to spike.
• Do more reps using lighter weights. Straining to lift heavier weights can cause your blood pressure to climb.
• Stop if you feel dizzy, out of breath, or if you experience chest pressure or pain.

Keep it safe

Always talk with your doctor about your physical activity, especially if you’re embarking on a new program or changing medications. Ask what exercises are recommended and which should be avoided.

• Build up your intensity. For example, you might start by doing 30 minutes of walking. The first week. Then on week two, switch to 20 minutes of walking and 10 minutes of stair climbing.
• Include a cool-down period. Moving around after exercising helps build your tolerance.
• Exercise indoors if the outside climate is extremely hot, cold or humid.
• Stop and seek immediate medical care for the following:
  • Chest tightness or pain
  • Irregular heartbeat
  • Excessive fatigue
  • Dizziness or faintness
  • Shortness of breath
  • Pain in your arm or jaw