Want to improve your hypertension? The following explains recent findings of the connection between aerobic exercise and hard-to-treat hypertension.
Resistant hypertension happens when someone’s blood pressure levels remain high even after they have taken several medications. However, a new, small study suggests that regular aerobic exercises may help such individuals lower their readings.
The study, available since August 2021 in JAMA Cardiology, includes 53 people with resistant hypertension. Participants were ages 40 to 75 and continued to take their blood pressure medications throughout the study.
One group (26) was randomly assigned to a supervised exercises program involving cycling, walking, or a combination for 40 minutes. They did the exercise program three times per week for a total of 12 weeks. In contrast, another group (27) received their usual care, which included lifestyle advice.
When measuring the study, researchers used the participants’ 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure at the start and end of the study. According to the results, the exercise group lowered their systolic blood pressure by an average of 7.1 points more than the nonexercise group. Moreover, the exercise group also lowered their diastolic blood pressure by 5.1 points more than the nonexercise group.
Currently, doctors recommend aerobic exercise as one of the first-line treatments for high blood pressure. Therefore, these new findings simply reinforce the importance of aerobic exercise, especially in those with resistant hypertension.
Exercise and Heart Health
If you live a sedentary life and lack a regular exercise routine, it can lead to high blood pressure. Since your blood pressure already increases naturally as you age, it’s a good idea to manage it properly starting now.
Through regular physical activity, you can make your heart stronger and, in turn, pump more blood efficiently and effectively. In addition to keeping your blood pressure levels healthy, it can also help you lose and maintain a healthy weight.
Aim to get at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity per week (about 30 minutes per weekday). Furthermore, you can decrease this time to 75 minutes per week if you do a vigorous aerobic activity instead. However, the more time and energy you spend exercising, the more benefits you’ll reap.
The Outlook
If you really want to strengthen your heart health, then regular aerobic exercise is the way to go. You can ride a bike, climb some stairs, go dancing, take a brisk walk, or participate in active sports.
In addition to exercising, you can give your heart health an extra boost by taking L-arginine Plus. Its ingredients are effective at promoting circulation, blood pressure health, cholesterol health, and more.
Give your blood pressure the support it deserves and take L-arginine Plus along with your new exercise routine.