What is Blood Pressure?
Blood pressure is a measurement of major vital health. We use it as one of our many tools to determine heart health. Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against the walls of the arteries and how much they relax between each heartbeat. It can be easily measured with a blood pressure cuff.
What is hypertension?
Hypertension or high blood pressure is a condition where the force of your blood against your artery walls is too high, or the artery is not relaxing enough to allow adequate blood flow to pass through. Hypertension is quite common and often goes untreated. If untreated too long, hypertension can cause tears to the arteries leading to more severe health conditions such as heart disease and stroke. The good news is that lifestyle modifications such as changes in nutrition and exercise can assist with the treatment, management, and prevention of hypertension.
Ways to reduce high blood pressure
Research has shown that 30-40 minutes of aerobic exercise at moderate intensity (60-85% of heart rate max) most days of the week significantly reduces blood pressure. It has additionally shown that resistance training (3-4 sets, 8-12 reps) three days of the week also significantly improves blood pressure. These positive benefits occur quickly, within just three sessions, but can also regress rapidly if you stop your routine.
Ways to keep blood pressure low
Studies have concluded that these positive benefits can regress and even return to pre-training levels in as little as two weeks. Health professionals recommend, that anyone with hypertension participate in 30-60 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic exercise most days of the week and moderate intensity resistance training 2-3 days per week to treat, manage, and prevent hypertension.
PRO Club’s personal trainers are experts at developing progressive enjoyable program designs. Every PRO Club member also receives a complimentary Get Started session and a complimentary 55-minute workout with a PRO Personal Trainer. To learn more about personal training or to schedule your complimentary Get Started session click here: Personal Training at PRO , call (425) 885-5566 or email personaltraining@proclub.com.
Written by: TALISA KUPFER, 20/20 LifeStyles Assessment Team PRO Club and PRO Medical
Talisa has a master’s degree in clinical Exercise Physiology and is a Certified Exercise Physiologist. She conducts the initial metabolic and fitness testing for 20/20 LifeStyles clients as well as continues to assist in monitoring a 20/20 participant’s progress while they transform into a healthy lifestyle. Talisa has a passion for being active and empowering others by encouraging, educating, and providing the correct tools needed to accomplish their goals. When Talisa is not at work, you can find her hiking, crafting, and spending time with her family.
