I’m overweight, out of shape and suffer from hypertension. Some people use those excuses to avoid exercise. But a new study from the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Louisiana debunks the notion that you must train like an athlete to reduce blood pressure.
The researchers studied more than 400 women ages 45 to 75 – all obese, sedentary and with higher-than-normal blood pressure. They assigned three groups to do low intensity exercise on a treadmill or bicycle. One group exercised about one hour a week; another group went 2.5 hours a week; and the third group worked out four hours each week. A fourth group did no exercise.
Researchers concluded even though the three groups that worked out did not lose weight, they did boost their overall cardiovascular fitness level. They also lowered their exercise blood pressure by 11 to 14 points during the low intensity workouts.
Getting started
Anyone with a chronic condition should consult with a doctor before starting an exercise program. Among the questions to ask :
- How much exercise should I do each day and each week?
- What type of exercise should I do?
- Are there activities I should avoid?
- Will exercise change the time I take my medications?
- How long should I wait after eating before exercising?
Pace yourself
If your doctor agrees that you could benefit from exercise, start slowly. Find an exercise that your body can do and commit to doing it everyday – it could be as simple as moving your arms. Gradually add movements that you can do with minimal discomfort. Set realistic goals and if you don’t meet those goals, figure out what got in the way.
Your don’t have to go to the gym
“A lot of people think of exercise as this big thing that will take up a lot of their time,” said Damon L. Swift, Pennington Biomedical lead researcher. He encourages overweight individuals with high blood pressure to consider simple forms of exercise: walking around their neighborhood, climbing stairs at home, or doing chores such as raking leaves and working in the garden.
Know your numbers
The American Heart Association recommends 150 minutes of moderate intense physical activity (such as brisk walking) each week. As you exercise, keep track of your resting heart rate and your target training heart rate.
Your resting heart rate is the number of times your heart beats per minute while at rest. The average resting heart rate is 60-80 beats per minute.
To determine your target training heart rate, count your heartbeats while exercising for 10 seconds and multiply by six. Your target training heart rate should not exceed your maximum heart rate, which is 220 minus your age.
Remember, you’re not training for a marathon. It doesn’t take a lot of exercise to see potential benefits. As a leading sports apparel company says, Just do it!
