| I was biking on Labor Day on a local bike path. | | | | suggests exercise as the "cornerstone therapy" |
| Beautiful path and a gorgeous day! At the end of | | | | for primary prevention, treatment and control of |
| the ride, I was packing up my bike and began a | | | | hypertension. Their exercise prescription for those |
| conversation with people in the car beside me. In | | | | with high blood pressure includes a frequency of |
| the course of the conversation with this | | | | most, if not all, days per week of primarily |
| middle-aged couple, the man indicated that he had | | | | endurance physical activity supplemented with |
| gotten off almost all of his blood pressure | | | | resistance exercise. The activity/exercise should |
| medications by making some changes in lifestyle. | | | | be moderate intensity (12-13 on Borg's RPE scale; |
| It got me thinking... | | | | 64-70% of Max HR). The goal is? 30 minutes of |
| Coming from a family history of heart disease, I | | | | continuous or accumulated activity/exercise per |
| am a bit more sensitive to anything that increases | | | | day. |
| my risk for some coronary event. As a personal | | | | With this regimen, researchers have found that |
| trainer, I can help people who have high blood | | | | BP will decrease approximately 5-7 mm Hg after |
| pressure through working with them on their | | | | an isolated exercise session (acute) or after |
| eating habits and exercise/activity levels. Even if | | | | exercise training (chronic). Even better...decreases |
| you are not a personal trainer, this is valuable | | | | of 22 mm Hg in either the systolic or diastolic |
| information to know for your own "good". | | | | blood pressure will decrease the risk of stroke by |
| You and I can actually control, through our | | | | 14% and 17%, respectively. The risk of coronary |
| lifestyle choices, many of the things that will help | | | | disease decreases by 9% and 6%, respectively, |
| us decrease the risk of this number one cause of | | | | in the general population. |
| death in our country - coronary artery disease. | | | | Exercise IS medicine! One other way to decrease |
| Chances are you have heard that high blood | | | | blood pressure through lifestyle change is through |
| pressure, a risk factor for coronary disease, is | | | | following a particular eating plan - the Dietary |
| the silent killer. It receives this designation b/c | | | | Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) eating |
| there are no signs or symptoms suggestive of | | | | plan - and to decrease the amount of sodium |
| hypertension or high blood pressure. Most people | | | | consumed. |
| don't know that they have high blood pressure. | | | | The DASH eating plan has been proven to lower |
| Blood pressure increases with age. A "normal" | | | | blood pressure in studies sponsored by the |
| blood pressure would be ?120/80 mm Hg. If the | | | | National Institute of Health. The eating plan |
| top number in this fraction, the systolic blood | | | | involves the consumption of more fruits and |
| pressure is ?140 mm Hg or if the bottom number | | | | vegetables, and low-fat or non-fat dairy. The |
| in this fraction, the diastolic blood pressure is ?90 | | | | most favorable results have occurred in people |
| mm Hg, then you need to take note. This | | | | with pre-hypertension (120-130 mm Hg systolic; |
| situation, where either number is equal or greater | | | | 80-90 diastolic) or Stage 1 hypertension. For more |
| than what I have indicated, is Stage 1 | | | | information, look at: |
| hypertension. In this case, action needs to be | | | | How do you decrease sodium consumption to the |
| taken. | | | | 1500 milligram recommended level? |
| Lifestyle modifications are advocated for | | | | Try getting away from any processed and |
| prevention, treatment, and control of | | | | packaged foods which have lots of sodium to help |
| hypertension. Exercise and eating are two lifestyle | | | | preserve the contents. Don't eat out so often - |
| options that we can modify and which will help in | | | | lots of processes foods with high sodium content |
| decreasing blood pressure. Personally I can | | | | here. Attempt to decrease your desire to salt |
| facilitate these changes in my own life and, if | | | | your foods. |
| working with clients as a personal trainer, it is | | | | Speaking personally, I like to have many things |
| within my scope of practice to help them with an | | | | within my control. Now, I wouldn't describe myself |
| exercise/activity program and a modification in | | | | as a control "freak" but I do like to know that I |
| their eating choices. Certainly, I would want to | | | | can control my physical activity and exercise |
| collaborate with the client's doctor especially if the | | | | levels and my eating habits to make a difference |
| client was on blood pressure medications and/or | | | | in my own health and happiness! |
| was Stage 2 or 3 hypertensive. | | | | The good news...YOU can too! |
| The American College of Sports Medicine ( | | | | |