Lower blood pressure through exercise: how it works > – Guide

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Status: 06/26/2023 11:16 a.m

Regular aerobic exercise can act as a beta blocker and lower blood pressure. Stress in sport, on the other hand, needs to be dosed well.

Sitting for a long time is poison for us, lack of exercise together with stress and wrong diet is a main trigger for high blood pressure.

Exercise affects blood pressure

Our cardiovascular system likes slow, steady endurance training. Regular endurance units dilate the vessels, make them elastic again, have a positive effect on the fat metabolism and even influence the nervous system: exercise reduces stress. It acts like a beta blocker.

However, sports that involve a lot of effort – such as pressing or lifting heavy weights – are not suitable because they repeatedly generate spikes in blood pressure. The same applies to competitive sports under time pressure, but also to bowling or martial arts.

The optimal training

Step One: For The Basic fitness is 10,000 steps required daily. You should really achieve this step goal.

Step two: The rule of thumb against high blood pressure is “Low Intensity Endurance”. Longer units, at least 30 minutes, are effective for the circulation – every minute counts. Appropriate loads are achieved when swimming, Nordic walking, light jogging or longer cycling. Important: It is not the speed or the distance covered that counts, but the training in the right load range for a sufficient period of time. People who are willing to perform often overexert themselves and thus drive their pulse too high.

Determine training heart rate

Training is beneficial for the circulatory system by heart rate in the so-called extensive endurance range. This range is well below the maximum heart rate and can be calculated using the so-called Karvonen formula. The maximum heart rate is best determined ergometrically (by the doctor). A heart rate monitor is very helpful for orientation on the optimal training heart rate.

Karvonen-Formel

The appropriate heart rate for various forms of endurance training can be determined using the formula of the Finnish sports physician Martti Karvonen:

THF = (max. HF − Ruhepuls) * Trainingsfaktor + Ruhepuls

THF = training heart rate
max. HF = maximum heart rate (ergometrically determined)
Ruhepuls = pulse in the morning after waking up
Training factor:
Untrained: 0.5 (return to rehabilitation sport)
Extensive endurance training: 0.6 (endurance strengthening, fat metabolism training)
intensive endurance training: 0.8 (performance increase)

Balance training and relaxation

The training should ideally take place five times a week: the body needs regular endurance units so that something changes on the receptors in the muscles. Only then does the training lower the high blood pressure.

If you have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, it makes sense to do the physical training during the day or before work. Rather do something quiet in the evening: a walk in the forest, yoga, qigong or relaxation techniques such as autogenic training or progressive muscle relaxation according to Jacobson.

AUDIO: Jacobson progressive muscle relaxation (17 min)

If you are overweight or older: combine moderate strength training

People over 40 and anyone who is overweight should include muscle building in their training, i.e. moderate strength training about twice a week. It is essential to avoid peak loads, which would be counterproductive for blood pressure – so no heavy weights! Rowing is a combination of strength and endurance sports. About 80 percent of the body’s muscles are used, which also supports fat loss. Rowing is easy on the joints and can even help prevent or alleviate back pain. However, it is not suitable for all people with high blood pressure. A prerequisite for starting this sport is that the large vessels in the abdomen or chest are not dilated.

Further information

Varied Mediterranean cuisine helps to normalize blood pressure. Important: drink a lot. more

Chronic high blood pressure causes hardly any symptoms, but increases the risk of life-threatening cardiovascular disease. more

Regular exercise lowers blood pressure. A study shows that health football is also good for the cardiovascular system. more

Endurance and strength training have different health effects. Which sport is the best for which goal? more

The hardest thing is the first step, because the weaker self always knows an excuse why we still have to postpone the training. How do you get going? more

1 Min

Sympathetic and parasympathetic regulate heartbeat and blood pressure. Endurance units block the effects of the sympathetic nervous system. 1 min

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Visit | 06/27/2023 | 8:15 p.m