Hypertension is the most common risk factor for heart disease. Even so, the risk of this complication can be prevented with proper lifestyle changes. Exercise is usually the first recommended by doctors to prevent, treat, and control hypertension. Mild exercise that continues to be carried out regularly can lower your blood pressure, thus ultimately preventing heart disease.
If you want to start living more actively, it is important to understand how sports tips for hypertension are safe to prevent the risk of unwanted complications.
Sports tips for safe and effective hypertension
Here's the general guide:
1. Find out your body's capacity to exercise through the FITT guidelines
For people with hypertension, it is important to know well to what extent your body is able to exercise. The way is by following the FITT guidelines, namely:
- Frequency: how often you have to exercise.
- Intensity: how intense you have to exercise.
- Time alias: how long is the ideal duration of exercise for you.
- Type: what type of exercise is right for you.
- In general, the type of exercise for good hypertension is aerobic exercise and dynamic resistance training with moderate intensity. Most health experts and hypertension experts advise you to exercise regularly, preferably 3-5 days a week, at least 30 minutes per day.
Examples of aerobic exercise are walking, jogging, going up and down stairs, cycling, and swimming. Meanwhile, the choice of dynamic endurance sports includes weight lifting and exercise using resistance bands, as well as exercises that use their own body weights such as squats, push-ups, planks, and pull-ups.
2. Start slowly
Whatever type of exercise you choose, start slowly until your body adapts to the new routine. If you plan to join a private class at a gym or other gym, start at a beginner level. Then you can increase the intensity and duration of the exercise gradually over time.
Always remember to warm up before exercising and cooling down afterwards to prevent injury.
3. Monitor your progress
Monitor the progress of your sport, and don't forget to keep checking your blood pressure regularly at home. That way you can know whether your exercise routine is really effective for controlling hypertension or not.
Check your blood pressure every 1 hour before starting exercise and 1 hour after.
4. Don't push yourself
Stop exercise immediately when you feel severe chest pain or chest sensation such as tightened tightness, dizziness, severe fatigue, or severe shortness of breath. Seek medical attention immediately if necessary.
Make sure you consult with a doctor who understands your condition before starting any exercise, especially if your body condition is not fit or you have never / rarely exercised before.
5. Tell the closest person about your condition
Hypertension is a condition that cannot be predicted. Even very light exercise can cause an increase in blood pressure. So every time you exercise outside the home, make sure you also carry a medical card that explains the details of your health condition or tell your personal trainer and gym friend that you have hypertension. This method can help you be on guard if you faint while exercising.
6. Avoid physical activity that is too heavy or tiring
Avoid doing sports or physical activity that is too heavy in a short time, for example running a sprint or lifting weights that are too heavy. Other types of exercise for hypertension that are not recommended are squash, skydiving, and scuba diving (deep sea diving).
Physical activity that is too intense can make your blood pressure jump dramatically in a fast time, and force your heart and blood vessels to work harder.
7. Don't pay "debt" at the same time
If you miss a sports session because it is busy or there are certain obstacles, do not at the same time pay for the missed time in the next session. For example, by adding sports time on weekends directly into 60 consecutive minutes because it doesn't have time to exercise 30 minutes on weekdays.
It's best to pay off your sports debt little by little by dividing it into 10 minutes over the next 3 days. This method of installments will be better for you than stacking them at once on one occasion. Because the pile of physical activity carried out suddenly can be risky for the health of the body. This can also put you at risk for sports injuries.