Before initiating a new fitness program it is very important to get clearance from your physician.Hypertension is high blood pressure. According to the American Heart Association, over 76 million people in the United States have hypertension . High blood pressure is an above normal force of blood on the body’s arteries. Blood pressure is measured using two numbers.
Normal blood pressure is 120/80 and a person is hypertensive if their blood pressure is 140/90 or higher. The top number refers to the pressure of blood in your arteries as the heart pumps the blood into the circulatory system.
This number is called systolic blood pressure. The bottom number refers to the force of blood against the walls of your arteries while the heart is resting between beats. This number is called diastolic blood pressure
Hypertension is very dangerous and can be deadly because the continuous high pressure of blood on the walls of the arteries stretches the artery walls beyond healthy limits . This stretching can cause tears in the arteries and may lead to a rupture of an artery. The unhealthy stretching of the arterial walls also puts a person with hypertension at risk for the narrowing of the arteries which results from scarring in the arteries and a build up of cholesterol or plaque in the arteries. In addition to unhealthy blood flow, which over time causes tissue damage throughout the body, the narrowing of arteries can lead to a complete blockage of an artery from blood clots, the build up of plaque or from a piece of plaque which breaks off from the wall of the artery. A complete block of an artery can cause a heart attack or stroke. Hypertension must be taken seriously. If hypertension continues without treatment, the heart muscle itself can become damaged due to the increased work load of pumping blood into a circulatory system of arteries that are inelastic, narrowing or blocked.Blood Pressure Ranges
Normal
120/80 or under
Pre-hypertension
120-139/80-89
High Blood Pressure
140/90 or higher
Hypertension is very serious because of its link to heart attack, stroke and congestive heart failure.
If you are at high risk for hypertension, it is very important to live a healthy lifestyle. Also a healthy lifestyle can help prevent hypertension. A healthy lifestyle means quitting smoking if you smoke, managing high cholesterol, eating a low saturated fat, high complex carbohydrate diet and staying active. If you already have hypertension, a healthy lifestyle can help you live a higher quality life and help prevent a life threatening health situation such as a heart attack, stroke or congestive heart failure.Exercise is recognized as an important part of an overall therapy program for controlling Hypertension.High cholesterol is a primary risk factor for hypertension. Cholesterol levels should be measured at least once every five years after age 20. The test which measures cholesterol is called a Lipoprotein Profile. It measures Low Density Lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL) -bad cholesterol, High Density Lipoprotein (HDL)-good cholesterol and Triglycerides.Here are the ranges for LDL Cholesterol:
Optimal
Less than 100
Near Optimal
100-129
Borderline High
130-159
High
160-189
Very High
190 and Above
HDL cholesterol helps reduce levels of LDLHere are the ranges for HDL Cholesterol:
Optimal
60 and above
Too Low
Less than 40 in men; Less than 50 in women
Doctors recommend a total cholesterol level below 200.So, while you can’t change your age or your gender you can manage your diabetes and cholesterol and you can quit smoking and you can get active-you can choose a healthy lifestyle for a happier, healthier you!
HYPERTENSIONStretching Guidelines:
Stretching Guidelines for people with hypertension are the same as for the general population. Stretching is important for maintaining flexibility-range of motion, better overall mobility and as part of a warm-up to help prevent injury before starting your aerobic exercise routine. Stretching is also very valuable after an aerobic work-out. Stretching after a workout is effective because the elevated tissue temperature just after an aerobic workout facilitates more flexibility while stretching. In general, stretches should be held for a minimum of 15 seconds and up to 30 seconds. Stretches should be repeated two-four times.
HYPERTENSIONStrength Training Guidelines:
General guidelines for strength training include: Alternate every other day upper body and lower body or complete an overall body strength training regiment every other day. Lift weights for larger muscles before smaller muscles because the smaller muscles are needed to assist the larger muscles. Lift reps to exhaustion-also called Max Resistance-to build muscle strength. If you have hypertension you should lift higher reps and lower weight -12-20 reps to fatigue. A weight lifting circuit training program is a lower weights and higher reps strength training program which enables you to strength train without straining to much. The strain of lifting heavier weights can increase blood pressure. Complete 1-2 sets with 1-2 minutes recovery between sets.With weight lifting circuit training, you perform a series of weight training exercises, from 4-10 stations, with little rest in between. You then repeat the circuit 3-5 times.Many different kinds of activities can be used to build muscle strength-free weights, nautilus machines, Resistance band stretching, body weight lifting exercises-e.g. pull-ups, push-ups and squats. It is important to find strength training exercises that you enjoy.
HYPERTENSIONAerobic Exercise Guidelines:
If you have hypertension you should record your blood pressure pre and post exercise. Be sure to consult with your healthcare team regarding an appropriate exercise program and get clearance from your physician before initiating an exercise program. Here are aerobic exercise program guidelines for someone with hypertension:Mode of Exercise-Low impact endurance exercises such as bike riding, walking and swimming
Frequency- At least 4 days a weekDuration: Exercise should be gradually increased to 30-60 minutes including warm-up and cool-down. For newly initiated fitness programs work gradually up to 30 minutes a day and then build on that foundation.
Intensity- You should exercise at a lower intensity. The lower intensity should be at a range of 40-65% of max heart rate. During your aerobic exercise session, you should use the method of Rate of Perceived Exhaustion (RPE) to gauge intensity instead of Target Heart Rate because hypertensive medications can alter the accuracy of the target heart rate during aerobic training.
Duration-Begin your workout with a warm-up and end with a cool-down. Your warm-up and cool-down session should last longer than 5 minutes. After beginning a new aerobic exercise program, gradually increase your total duration to 30-60 minutes. Once again, be sure to get medical clearance.
The National Institutes of Health created nutrition guidelines for helping to lower blood pressure. These guidelines are called DASH-Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. The DASH dietary plan emphasizes eating a low saturated fat and low sodium diet (1500-2300 mg sodium/day) and increasing dietary nutrients which are thought to contribute to lowering blood pressure such as protein and fiber and the minerals potassium, calcium and magnesium. Foods high in protein and low in saturated fat include white meat chicken without the skin, baked or grilled cod fish and canned tuna which is canned in water. Foods both high in protein and fiber include bean, lentils and peas. Reference the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services document titled “Your Guide to Lowering Blood Pressure with DASH.”It can be found at:http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/hbp/dash/new_dash.pdfMORE HYPERTENSION FITNESS TOPICS
American Heart Association, www.heart.org
Corleone, Jill, List of Foods that are Extremely High in Protein & Low in Fat, Oct 9, 2010, www.livestrong.com/article/274801-list-of-foods-that-are-extremely-high-in-protein-low-in-fat/?utm_source=dontgo2&utm_medium=a3
Jackson, Sarah, High Fiber High Protein Foods, March 23, 2010, www.livestrong.com/article/82652-high-fiber-high-protein-food/
