First the good news – Exercise will lower your blood pressure and you may be able to reduce or even stop taking your high blood pressure medications.  If you don’t now have hypertension, then exercise will help prevent it.

The bad news – It’s exercise !

“Exercise relieves stress. Nothing relieves exercise.”
Takayuki Ikkaku, Arisa Hosaka and Toshihiro Kawabata in
Animal Crossing: Wild World, 2005

Why choose exercise over medication?

Ok, so why not just pop a pill and be done with it?  For starters, how about side effects. Depending on the hypertension medication your doctor prescribes, you may experience one or more of the following:

• Constipation
• Drowsiness and Fatigue
• Headaches
• Dizziness and Fainting
• Dehydration
• Dry Mouth
• Frequent urination at night
• An increased sensitivity to cold weather
• An increased sensitivity to sunlight
• Bleeding gums
• Stomach upset
• Impotence
• Persistent cough
• Fluid Retention
• Heart Arrhythmia

Now let’s compare those to the possible side effects of exercise:

• Strengthening of your heart and cardiovascular system
• Increased energy levels
• Increased endurance
• Reduced body fat
• Weight loss
• Helps eliminate shortness of breath
• Strengthens your bones
• Better balance
• Increased overall strength and muscle tone
• Joint flexibility
• Reduced risk of type II diabetes
• Reduced risk of stroke
• Better quality sleep
• Lower stress hormone levels
• Reduces anxiety and depression
• Makes you look and feel better
• Increased self-esteem
• Can increase effectiveness of hypertension medications
• And of course helps regulate your blood pressure

Ok, so I think exercise wins that round.

While many consider hypertension to be a disease, in many cases it’s a symptom of another underlying illness.  Blood pressure medications lower high blood pressure by tricking the body with chemicals.  They don’t treat the underlying causes and you don’t receive any of the benefits of exercise listed above.

Does Lack of Exercise Cause Hypertension?

The definitive answer is sometimes.  It would seem to be common sense that if exercise reduces blood pressure, than not exercising will cause it to rise,  However, there are plenty of couch potatoes out there who’d break into a sweat running to the bathroom during a commercial and they don’t have high blood pressure.  But, with the right combination of poor lifestyle choices (ie: smoking, poor diet) and a genetic predisposition to hypertension, lack of exercise is a major contributing factor to high blood pressure.

So what’s next, join a gym?

Your 1st step should be to consult your health care professional.  It’s a good idea no matter what age and shape you’re in, but particularly if:

• You are over age 40
• You smoke
• You are overweight
• You have a family history of heart disease
• You have any chronic illnesses (heart disease, hypertension, arthritis, diabetes, etc.)
• You haven’t had a physical in the last few years
• You take any medications (exercise can affect the way some medications work)

He or she can advise you about any precautions you must take regarding your present physical condition.  If you have dangerously high blood pressure, it may be necessary to bring it down to a safer level with medication before you can begin exercising.

Next, decide on what type of physical activity you want to participate in.  No, you don’t have to join a gym or buy expensive exercise equipment.  You can do something as simple as taking a daily walk.  However, a leisurely stroll though the park won’t do you much good, you have to exert yourself.  Just remember to take it easy in the beginning, especially if you aren’t accustomed to physical exertion.

Can I quit after my blood pressure comes down?

In one respect, medication and exercise are alike. In order to keep your blood pressure under control, you need to maintain an active lifestyle. Any reduction in blood pressure numbers as a result of exercise will disappear if you stop.