5 Exercises to Avoid When You Have High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a medical condition faced by many people of all ages and genders. With high blood pressure, the blood force inside your vessels remains high consistently. It is mainly hereditary or genetic; however, there are also various reasons that cause hypertension, such as physical inactivity, high sodium diets, etc.

Hypertension raises two types of pressure in your blood, namely, diastolic and systolic, and over time it leads to arteries and heart damage, along with chronic heart issues, heart attacks, and various other dangerous health conditions.

One of the best ways to avoid and control high blood pressure in the first place is to exercise regularly. Doing simple exercises such as jogging, brisk walking and yoga can lower blood pressure and also reduce the overall stress level.

Daily workouts have many health and mental benefits, even for people suffering from hypertension, but there are limits to the types of exercises they can perform, as some activities can instantly increase blood pressure levels, leading to breathlessness, fatigue, dizziness and so on.

And therefore, for people suffering from hypertension, knowing what exercises to avoid is important to prevent unavoidable consequences.

Here are some of the exercises to avoid during high blood pressure.

1.) Weightlifting:

Weightlifting is a strength training exercise that helps to strengthen your bones and muscles and works on your entire body. For people with hypertension, weightlifting can though help manage blood pressure levels, doing rigorous weightlifting can raise the pressure to a dangerous level and put unwanted strain on your blood vessels and heart. Therefore, this exercise should be done in limitation if you suffer from high blood pressure.

Weightlifting is not good for hypertension patients. (Photo by Victor Freitas on Unsplash)

2.) Sprinting:

Sprinting is not a good exercise for people dealing with hypertension, as it is a high impact and powerful exercise that can spike their blood pressure levels in no time. Instead, people with high blood pressure should incorporate cycling, jogging and moderate running into their workout routine.

3.) Squash:

Playing squash is an effective body workout as it targets all the major muscles in your body, from your upper body including your arms, shoulders, back and chest to your lower body including your legs, waist and hips. It is an intense sport that requires you to move and run at great speed, and therefore, people with high blood pressure should avoid playing as this sport can instantly raise their blood pressure levels and increase their chances of a heart attack.

Table tennis, golf, bowling, and other low-impact sports are good options for hypertension patients.

Squash is an all body workout, but not good for hypertension patients. (Photo by Sven Mieke on Unsplash)

4.) Scuba diving:

Scuba diving is another activity that you should avoid if you are suffering from high blood pressure, as this sport can increase the chances of a spike in blood pressure while diving.

Scubadiving can also increase the risk of stroke or heart attack, both of which can be very dangerous underwater. It is recommended that you consult your doctor before trying this sport and go through all the check-ups to prevent any unavoidable circumstances.

5.) Skydiving:

High blood pressure patients should avoid skydiving as this condition can interfere with changes in oxygen levels during skydiving. It is an extreme activity that may not be good for people with hypertension. It is recommended to consult a doctor before trying any activity like this.

While regular exercise is beneficial for high blood pressure, not avoiding the above-listed exercises and working out rigorously isn’t safe at all.

You should invest in a low-impact exercise, one that gets your breath rate up but doesn’t let you feel breathless and dizzy.

Some low-impact exercises that are suitable for high blood pressure patients include:

• Jogging
• Brisk walking
• Cycling
• Swimming
• Dancing

Other than avoiding these exercises, there are also a few other things that you can do to ensure a balanced and stable blood pressure. Some of these things include:

• Quit smoking
• Eat a healthy and nutritious diet
• Limit your salt and caffeine intake
• Maintain your weight

Bottom line:

Whatever exercise you go for, make sure you start slowly and increase your pace only when your blood pressure is stable. Take your time and build up the pace of your exercises when you are comfortable.

Monitor your progress and don’t forget to measure your blood pressure regularly. This can help you identify whether your workout routine is helping your blood pressure condition or not. Make it a point to monitor your blood pressure before and after exercising.