How Does Exercise Reduce Blood Pressure & Stress?

Introduction

According to the American Heart Association, more than 73 million Americans over the age of 20 have higher than recommended blood pressure. If left untreated, these blood pressure numbers can lead to devastating damage to the blood vessels and to disorders such as heart disease, heart attack and stroke. Stress is one factor that may cause blood pressure to rise. One way that doctors recommend to fight both stress and high blood pressure is through exercise.

Exercise and Blood Pressure

According to the Mayo Clinic, you do not need to be a marathon runner for your blood pressure to benefit from exercise. Even small physical activities throughout the day can help manage blood pressure levels. However, it can take up to 3 months to see marked differences in your blood pressure levels, so it is important to make exercise a habit. Exercise can affect your blood pressure both directly and indirectly.

Direct Effects

The largest way in which exercise reduces blood pressure is through its effects on the heart. As you exercise, your heart is forced to work harder. Like any muscle, the more you work your heart, the stronger it becomes. Exercise increases the heart muscle's ability to pump stronger and healthier. This allows the heart to pump more blood through your circulatory system with less effort. The less effort the heart has to make to do the same amount of work will show up as a lowered blood pressure rate.

Indirect Effects

Exercise also affects your blood pressure indirectly. Obesity is a major reason why many people suffer from high blood pressure. Exercise helps shed unwanted fat from the body, helping the body to not only be healthier but to work more efficiently. Those who lose weight often see a dramatic drop in blood pressure towards a much healthier range.

Exercise and Stress

Another way that exercise indirectly reduces your blood pressure is through the reduction of stress. Exercise helps relieve stress in two main ways. First, it lowers the amount of stress-creating hormones being produced and replaces them with other hormones called endorphines. Endorphines are "feel good" chemicals that account for the good feeling you get after a great workout session. Exercise also helps reduce the body's stress response. According to the Mayo Clinic, this is done through taking your mind off of stress through the concentration and repetitive motions of exercise. The stress response is also reduced through the replacement of anxiety and depression with feelings of wellness and self-confidence experienced through regular exercise.

References

• American Heart Association
• Mayo Clinic: Exercise and Blood Pressure
• Mayo Clinic: Exercise and Stress