The official recommendation from the JNC7 report is that aerobic exercise, such as brisk walking, should be performed for at least 30 minutes, 4 or more times a week, to lower systolic blood pressure an average of 4-9mmhg. While it was traditionally thought that only aerobic exercise
could lower blood pressure, research has been presented in recent years showing that specific isometric exercises involving adequate rest time and monitored exertion may be effective as well.

The mechanisms by which exercise lowers blood pressure are not definitively known; however, there are several well respected hypotheses. There is evidence to indicate that the blood pressure reductions associated with exercise could be due to reduced sympathetic nervous system activity, improved endothelium mediated vasodilatation, changes in the baroreflex, and/or reductions in blood volume. The actual mechanism could prove to be a combination of factors and may even vary depending on lifestyle and genetics.

Please check with your physician before beginning any exercise programs.

For more information, visit:

The Seventh Report of the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure. JAMA. 2003;42:1206. Available from http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/hypertension/jnc7full.pdf. Accessed June 8, 2009.

Moiser R. Blood Pressure: Your Body’s Warning Lights. Hooah 4 Health website by the Army National Guard and the Office of the Chief, Army Reserve. Updated September 2004. Available at: http://www.hooah4health.com/body/fitness/warninglights.htm. Accessed June 8, 2009.

M.A. van Baak. Exercise and hypertension: facts and uncertainties. Br. J. Sports Med. 1998;32;6-10. doi:10.1136/bjsm.32.1.6. Available at: http://bjsm.bmj.com/cgi/reprint/32/1/6. Accessed June 8, 2008.

Here are some great ways you can lose weight and maybe even lower your blood pressure naturally!

DASH Diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension)
Endorsed by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) , the DASH diet calls for a reduction in red meats, sodium, sweets and artificial sugars, and emphasizes fruits and vegetables as well as potassium, magnesium, calcium and a whole host of heart healthy foods. Simply following the DASH diet without weight loss has been proven to lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of heart failure; however, using the DASH diet to count calories can help your lose weight too- making it extra valuable in the fight against hypertension! The complete diet can be found here.

Aerobic Exercise
The JNC7 recommends at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise, such as brisk walking, be performed at least 4 times a week for an average drop in blood pressure of 4-9mmHg systolic. If you weigh 150 pounds, walking 2 miles in 30 minutes will burn roughly 175 calories.

Always get your physicians approval before beginning any exercise program!

For more information visit:

“NHLBI Study Finds DASH Diet And Reduced Sodium Lowers Blood Pressure For All” by the NIH News Release. Can be viewed online at http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/new/press/01-12-17.htm

“The Seventh Report of the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure” by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Can be viewed online at http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/hypertension/jnc7full.pdf

“Overweight and Obesity: Health Consequences” by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Surgeon General. Can be viewed online at http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/topics/obesity/calltoaction/fact_consequences.htm.

Seventy-four individuals enrolled in a cardiac rehabilitation program. They were all overweight, had coronary heart disease and were randomly assigned to either a standard rehab exercise program or a program designed to burn about four times as many calories. The standard rehabilitation exercise included 25-40 minutes of brisk walking, biking or rowing three days a week for a total of about 700-800 calories burned per week. The new regiment required 45-60 minutes of slower walking five days a week for a total of about 3,000-3,500 calories burned per week. After only five months, those on the new long walk exercise plan had greater improvement in their insulin sensitivity, cholesterol, blood pressure and cardio as well as respiratory fitness than those in the standard rehabilitation exercise program. They also found that those on the new exercise plan also lost an average of 18 pounds, 13 pounds of body fat and 2.7 inches from their waistline, whereas those on the standard plan only lost 8 pounds, 6 pounds of body fat and 2 inches from their waistline.

“However you lose weight is good for heart patients and should reduce their risk,” said the study’s lead researcher Dr. Philip A. Ades, a professor of medicine and director of cardiac rehabilitation and prevention at the University of Vermont College of Medicine, to HealthDay Reporter, “But don’t forget the exercise. It’s a big part of how to lose weight. Walking daily, walking far, really made a big difference in reducing cardiac risk.”

For more information see:

“Walk Long, Slow and Often to Help the Heart” By Steven Reinberg
HealthDay Reporter. U.S.News & World Report website. Found at http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/healthday/2009/05/11/walk-long-slow-and-often-to-help-the-heart.html

• Antihypertensive medications such as beta blockers and diuretics impair the ability to regulate body temperature during exercise in hot and/or humid environments
and provoke hypoglycemia (88,206). Thus, people using these medications should be educated on the signs/symptoms of heat illness, the role of adequate hydration, proper clothing to facilitate evaporative cooling, the optimal times of the day to exercise, the importance of decreasing the exercise dosage (time and intensity) during periods of increased heat or humidity, and methods to prevent hypoglycemia. In addition, beta blockers can substantially alter submaximal and maximal exercise capacity, particularly in those without myocardial ischemia and with nonselective
agents.
• Because antihypertensive agents such as alpha blockers, calcium channel blockers, and vasodilators may provoke hypotensive episodes after abrupt cessation of activity, extending the cool-down period is generally recommended (88,98).

Source:
“Exercise and Hypertension” This pronouncement was written for the American College of Sports Medicine by; Pescatello, Linda S. Ph.D., FACSM, (Co-Chair); Franklin, Barry A. Ph.D., FACSM, (Co-Chair); Fagard, Robert M.D., Ph.D. FACSM; Farquhar, William B. Ph.D.; Kelley, George A. D.A., FACSM; Ray, Chester A. Ph.D., FACSM. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise: March 2004 – Volume 36 – Issue 3 – pp 533-553. Special Communications. Can be viewed online at http://journals.lww.com/acsm-msse/Fulltext/2004/03000/Exercise_and_Hypertension.25.aspx