Learn how to exercise if you have high blood pressure. Is it possible to give an anaerobic load at all in the gym. Representatives of the World Health Organization claim that now every fifth person on earth suffers from diseases of the heart and vascular system. This, of course, affects the blood pressure as well. Hypertension is also very common. Today we will discuss the question of whether it is possible to swing under strong pressure.
Symptoms and causes of hypertension
Thanks to the work of the heart, the blood carries all the nutrients and oxygen throughout the body. The force with which the blood acts on the walls of blood vessels is called blood pressure. The higher it is, the more difficult is the work of the heart. This significantly increases the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Until the age of thirty, a pressure of 120/80 is considered normal. Often, a person accepts any deviation from this indicator as a sign of a disease. However, there are limits when the pressure is normal. It is necessary to visit a doctor if the tonometer reads the following:
- 170/70 - increased systolic pressure.
- 120/100 - increased diastolic pressure.
- From 120 to 139 and from 80 to 89 - prehypertension.
- More than 140/90 - hypertension.
A large number of factors affect pressure. These include excess weight, smoking, passive lifestyle, high salt intake, lack of vitamin D, etc.
Unfortunately, people often do not pay attention to blood pressure and may not even know their normal values. This primarily applies to young people. In this case, they can think about health only after they strongly "press". But hypertension is no joke and this disease negatively affects all systems of the body.
Can you swing at elevated pressure?
Before answering this question, I would like to cite a little-known fact from the life of Arnie. Since birth, Arnold has had heart problems - he was born with a bicuspid aorta. The heart should have three folds, and Arnie only had two, which makes it difficult to control blood flow. In addition, there are a large number of cases of increased blood pressure in pro-athletes who did not have heart problems.
This is due to the high concentration of adrenaline. Under the influence of physical exertion, this hormone is actively secreted, which can cause an increase in pressure. Actually, if you, for example, jump with a parachute, then the pressure will also be increased due to adrenaline. However, such changes are short-lived. But with frequent exercises, and pro-athletes can do two workouts during the day, the situation with blood pressure can worsen.
However, this fact does not mean that if you visit the gym more than three times a week, then you will definitely develop hypertension. If you exercise often, then you need to take measures to reduce the secretion of adrenaline. The main factor in the activation of the synthesis of this hormone is the central nervous system. Thus, if you learn to calm the central nervous system, you will not enter the risk group.
It may seem strange to you, but it is possible to calm the central nervous system by eating chicken or turkey breast. This is due to the high content of tryptophan in this product. Of course, you can and even need to consume any food containing this substance. The maximum amount of tryptophan is found in red caviar, peanuts and almonds, as well as soy. The foods are listed in order of decreasing tryptophan content.
How do sports supplements affect blood pressure?
Athletes consume a wide variety of sports supplements. Let's see how the most popular of them affect blood pressure.
Creatine monohydrate
As you know, this type of sports nutrition is designed to increase power performance. Note that creatine can significantly increase blood pressure. This is due to its ability to retain fluid in the body. The more water in the body, the more the blood presses on the walls of the vessels.
Caffeine
Caffeine is one of the most effective fat burners and is often used by athletes for this reason. This substance increases the secretion of adrenaline, which, as we said above, increases pressure.
Excess fluid
Water during exercise is necessary, but its excess in the body contributes to an increase in pressure. For this reason, during exercise, you should consume no more than 20 milliliters of water for each kilogram of your weight. Let's say for a girl weighing 55 kilograms, the maximum amount of water is 1.1 liters. It is better to lower this limit to one liter.
How to train for hypertension?
Now let's move on to practical advice for training people suffering from this disease.
Eliminate certain exercises from your training program
You should definitely check out the list of available movements for the bench press, dumbbell bench press, leg press, deadlift, and squat. Work in other exercises with medium weights. For the upper body, they should be between 30 and 40 percent of your maximum weight, and for the lower body, between 50 and 60 percent.
Do 7 to 10 reps
The more repetitions you do, the higher the pressure will be. Exclude rejection training from the program.
Concentric movement speed
Try to work at a controlled speed when lifting weights, but not too slowly.
Rest between sets
You should rest for at least a minute and a half between sets, otherwise the pressure will rise.
Cardio load
Cardio exercises can lower blood pressure and for this reason you need to incorporate them into your training plan. After your main workout, remember to walk on the treadmill for 10 or 15 minutes. You can also use an exercise bike or swimming.
For workouts with high blood pressure, see this video:
