How and why is exercise good for controlling blood pressure. I do not understand why as I would have thought?

Question

that it would have pushed it up instead of controlling it. Please explain in laymans terms all you medical people out there.

Thanks a lot.

Answer 1

There is very little benefit from exercising in the short term - indeed as you say it could increase blood pressure - most people have strokes on rising from a lying position, for example as it increases blood pressure.

Exercise is one of those things that medical people like to encourage you to do for almost any ailment - for no particular reason other than to give you something to do, get you fit and to make you blame yourself for your illness when you fail to exercise. I once went to the doctor as I was falling over from an upright position and my left foot kept drooping as I walked - the doctor suggested cycling! Yeah - of course - that'll sort me out.

Physically fit and slender people can also suffer from raised blood pressure as there is a strong inherited factor in the condition. Exercise if you want to but don't beat yourself up about it if it is not convenient.

Answer 2

It does elevate your blood pressure; this is a temporary effect.

However, as you exercise more, you get more capable. So the pressure doesn't need to rise so far. Your capability while resting also improves because you have exercised, so the pressure needn't be so high then, either.

One capability that increases with repeated exercise is called 'capillarisation'. Increased bloodflow stimulates the building of new blood vessels, so that there are more places in your body for blood to be circulating. That makes it easier to pump it around (less resistance).

The muscles in the walls of arteries also help with propelling blood; if they are out of practice, the heart will have to work harder without so much of their help, but if they are very capable, the heart can leave more of the work to them, so it beats with less force (low blood pressure).

Veins also help to propel blood, but they don't have any muscles in them. They rely on the movement of muscles nearby. If your muscles are constantly moving (you exercise a lot, or do other activity), the 'veinous return' (returning blood to the heart) will be very effective, so that a high blood pressure isn't needed.

Exercising also stimulates the production of 'reward' hormones, called 'endorphins'. These cause pleasant feelings, and relax you, which also reduces blood pressure.

Answer 3

Exercise doesn't directly control BP (not to be confused with heart rate). High blood pressure is usually due to obesity or heart problems. The heart is a pump made from muscle, so if you are obese the pump has to work harder to get the blood all over the body. Obese people have more blood vessels to account for the extra distance the blood has to travel. So the extra work on the heart = an increase in pressure of blood. So losing weight will decrease your BP.
If your heart has narrowed arteries the pump has to work harder to get past these narrowings, therefore hard work equals increase in pressure. Some people have a high/low BP and no one knows why.

Answer 4

Physical exercise is important for maintaining physical fitness and can contribute positively to maintaining a healthy weight; building and maintaining healthy bone density, muscle strength, and joint mobility; promoting physiological well-being; reducing surgical risks; and strengthening the immune system.
Frequent and regular aerobic exercise has been shown to help prevent or treat serious and life-threatening chronic conditions such as high blood pressure, obesity, heart disease,plus it should be seen as fun and not a chore.......

Answer 5

I am an old man and it works out that if u don't use it u will loose it. If u don't walk very much like I do when it is cold then it is hard to get back to walking again. U need to push your self right up to the red line every day.

Answer 6

Well - excercise is good for controlling your blood pressure long-term. It takes a while, but it controls. Excercise burns calories, resulting in lower calorie daily-intake... which concludes to less fat and sodium per day, which eventually lowers your blood pressure.

Answer 7

your veins and arteries are elastic to by working them out regularly and moderately you dilate them and keep the blood flowing evenly ( no restrictions,) so after exercising the pressure is lower since they dilate properly, since there is more room for the blood to flow , heart all wise pumps the same amount per beat, but larger arteries move more flow with larger diameter under less pressure

Answer 8

reduce the intake of salt, add garlic to your diet at least once a week