Exercising with High Blood Pressure

When your doctor tells you that you have high blood pressure, one of the first things he will ask you to do is get more exercise. 

Exercise has many great health benefits for people with high blood pressure. Exercise lowers blood pressure directly by making your heart stronger and allowing it to work less hard. It also helps lower stress, which will lead to lower blood pressure as well. On top of that, exercising will help you maintain a healthy weight, which will keep your blood pressure lower. 

Since you have high blood pressure:

- It's important to listen to your body! If you feel like something is wrong, stop and ask your doctor on your next visit.

- Don't hold your breath. It can cause your blood pressure to rise.

- Don't work too hard; it will only raise your blood pressure more.

Some tips to get started:

- Find something fun to do for exercise. 

- Get someone to workout with you and make sure you stick with it. 

- Don't overdo it! If you do, you'll stop wanting to work out.

- Try different things so you don't get bored. 

Videos and classes like these are great ways to get active. Find a class to take at your local gym, or if you're strapped for cash, find a video on YouTube and gather some friends to work out with you!

How much exercise do I need?

Sources:

Mayo Clinic

American Heart Association

Centers for Disease Control

World Health Organization

Talking to your Doctor: High Blood Pressure Edition

What should you ask your doctor about your blood pressure?

Going to the doctor can be a stressful experience for many people. This stress can be caused by previous experiences, the fear of having health problems, or one of many other variables. Being uncomfortable around your doctor can make it hard to remember what questions to ask. It's important to develop an amicable relationship with your doctor in order to lower your health related stress, but coming in with an idea of what you need to know about your health can also help reduce that stress. 

This list is a great resource to take with you to your doctor if you need help remembering what you need to know. It even has blanks to fill in the answers so that you can keep all the answers for future reference. 

• What is my blood pressure?
• This may seem silly, but a lot of patients know that their blood pressure is high, but don't know the exact numbers. As you begin monitoring your blood pressure, you will need to know exactly how high it is.
• What is the healthy range for me?
• Many sources offer ranges for healthy blood pressure. Ask your doctor to tell you where he would like your blood pressure to be. He (or she) will be familiar with you and your specific case and know exactly what's right for you.
• If you're on a medication, ask for its name and if it has any side effects you need to watch out for! 
• There are many reasons to be aware of your medications and your doctor is your best ally in this area. 
• Also ask if your doctor has any more specific instructions about your medications. 
• Should you take it at a specific time? With or without food? You want to be sure that your medicine working as well as it can. Talk to your doctor and take advantage of his knowledge!
• What is a healthy weight for me? 
• One of the ways that is usually recommended for lowering blood pressure is weight loss. Ask your doctor where he would like you to be in order to help manage your blood pressure. 

Obviously these questions will vary for everyone, but this list is a good place to start. Before you see your doctor, make sure to consider what you'd like to talk about. It will definitely improve your visits with your doctor, making it easier on both you and him. 

Source: http://www.tuscany-diet.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Blood-pressure-and-healthy-life.jpg

Sources:

National Institutes of Health: Heart, Lung and Blood Institute

American Heart Association

National Library of Medicine

Checking Your Blood Pressure at Home: What You Need to Know

Creating the Right Environment

- Find a quiet, calm place to take your blood pressure. If you're doing it manually, then you will need a place where it is easy to hear. Excess noise or being in an unsettling place can cause stress, which will raise your blood pressure.

- Be sure to sit for a about ten minutes before checking your blood pressure. Sit up straight with your legs uncrossed and put your arm in a resting position to get the best reading possible.

- Make certain that you are comfortable! Taking your blood pressure when you aren't comfortable won't give you a good reading of your resting blood pressure. 

Manually Checking your Blood Pressure at Home

To check your blood pressure, you will need a stethoscope and a sphygmomanometer
Image from: http://andreadenney.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Aneroid-Sphygmomanometer-with-Stethoscope-MS-117-.jpg

1. Find your pulse. You should be able to feel it in the bend of your elbow. If you have trouble pinpointing it, try using your stethoscope. 

2. Put the cuff on your arm and adjust it so that it is snug but not uncomfortably tight. 

3. Place your stethoscope above the artery so that you will able to hear it when taking your blood pressure and put the ear pieces in your ear. 

4. Ensure that the airflow valve is closed on the sphygmomanometer. 

5. Pump up the cuff by squeezing the bulb, continuing until the pressure gauge read about 30 above your expected top blood pressure number.

6. Slowly allow the air to exit the cuff, so that the pressure around the arm is gradually lowered.

7. Use the stethoscope to listen for the first heart beat. The pressure in the cuff at this time is the top number (systolic) of your blood pressure. 

8. Write down this number and then continue to let the air out of the cuff. 

9. When you can no longer hear the beating, the pressure shown is the blood blood pressure number (diastolic). 

Directions adapted from WebMD 

This student does a good job of explaining how to measure the blood pressure of a patient. You could use this video to help learn to take your own blood pressure or to teach family members to help with taking your blood pressure. MAKE SURE to let the air out of the pressure cuff SLOWLY until you've gotten used to the process!

The American Heart Association has made this resource available for you to use in tracking your blood pressure. Use it to get started monitoring your blood pressure!

Sources:

Mayo Clinic

American Heart Association