Hypertension, or High Blood Pressure, is one of the largest occurring chronic conditions commonly diagnosed by doctors and occurs in approximately 29% of the Australian population. It is unknown how or why hypertension occurs, and often results from a family genetic predisposition.

Hypertension is one of the major risk factors for cardiovascular disease and death due to causing structural damage to the heart as it has to work harder to pump blood around the body. Those with an increased risk of developing hypertension are often people who are not physically active, are overweight, or consume excess sodium and alcohol. However, the increased risk of cardiovascular disease can be reduced in hypertensive individuals through positive behaviour modifications, such as diet and exercise. Both aerobic and resistance exercise have been found to reduce resting blood pressure in hypertensive populations. Both moderate and high-intensity exercise have been found to be safe and well tolerated in hypertensive individuals, however, it is recommended that older individuals with coronary artery disease seek medical clearance prior to exercise commencement.

The Exercise guidelines for hypertension include:

  • 30 minutes of moderate-intensity (slight interrupted conversation) aerobic exercise at least 5 days a week or 20 minutes of vigorous intensity (cannot maintain a conversation) aerobic exercise at least 3 days a week
  • 1 set of 8-10 exercises at 8-12 repetitions of strengthening resistance exercise 2 or more non-consecutive days a week.

 

Make an appointment with one of our Exercise Physiologists for more exercise and health guidelines for you.