Blood Pressure

CHICAGO PERSONAL TRAINING
Wellness By Design

FACT: As many as 50 million Americans either have high blood pressure or are taking high blood pressure medication.

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Blood Pressure

Your blood pressure changes from day to day and even from moment to moment. For instance, it rises when you are active or excited and goes down when you rest or sleep. This is quite normal and nothing to worry about. In some people, however, blood pressure goes up and stays that way. When this happens, the person is said to suffer from high blood pressure.

WHAT IS "NORMAL"?
Blood pressure is measured at two phases of the heart's action. One is when the heart is contracting. This is called "systolic" pressure. The other is when the heart is relaxing between beats. This is called "diastolic" pressure.

Normal systolic blood pressure is about 120 and normal diastolic about 80. (That means pressures strong enough to support columns of mercury 120 mm and 80 mm high respectively.) Your blood pressure is recorded with the systolic reading over the diastolic. For example, the reading above would be shown as " 120 over 80" or 120/80.

In determining whether a person has a high blood pressure problem or not, doctors usually focus on the diastolic reading. People whose diastolic blood pressure stays at 90 or above, in repeated tests
at different times, are usually considered to have some degree of high blood pressure.

CHECKLIST FOR BLOOD
PRESSURE CONTROL
*Have your blood pressure checked regularly. Your primary care physician
can tell you how often.

* Stop smoking.

* Avoid excessive salt intake.

* Eat more fresh fruits, vegetables, and foods high in fiber...and less fat.

* Reduce stress on and off the job; master relaxation techniques.

* Be moderate in your drinking.

* Exercise regularly, and keep your weight within normal limits.

* If your doctor prescribes medication to lower your blood pressure, be sure to follow his or her directions exactly.

THE LOWDOWN ON BLOOD PRESSURE
Blood pressure is the force of the flowing blood against the walls of the arteries. It's measured in two numbers ...for example, '140/90.' The first number (140) is systolic pressure, the pressure when the heart contracts and pumps the blood through the body. The lower number (90) is diastolic pressure, the pressure between pumps, when the heart is resting 120/80 is considered normal. You have high blood pressure (hypertension) if your blood- pressure reading is equal to or greater than 140/90 for extended periods of time. Elevated blood pressure means your heart is working harder than normal, putting both your heart and arteries under a greater strain.

HOW TO KEEP HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE UNDER CONTROL
If you are diagnosed with high blood pressure, it's extremely important that you follow your doctor's treatment guidelines to the letter. These guidelines include keeping your diet low in fat, reducing your salt intake, quitting smoking, and limiting your alcohol consumption.
In addition, you should exercise regularly, keep your weight within normal bounds, and learn to manage stress (instead of
letting it manage you). Some recent research suggests that constant stress and pressure may predispose some men to continually elevated blood pressure later in life.

Knowing The Basics

Many people who have high pressure do not even know they have it.

Blood Pressure Machines - many health clubs now have blood pressure machines available to their members. Beware that if you take your blood pressure right after you workout, you will probably get a higher reading then normal. If you are concerned at all about the readings you receive from the machine, contact your physician and have him or her perform a blood pressure test for you.

Silent Killer - high blood pressure is also known as the "silent killer" because your body gives no warning signs that you have this condition.

Adjusting Your Workout - if you are diagnosed with high blood pressure there are several guidelines you should follow for exercising. First, you should get your doctors approval for working out. Most importantly NEVER hold your breath while lifting weights. You are better off lifting lighter weights with more repetitions. Most people have a tendency to hold their breath when they are lifting heavy weights.

MEASURING YOUR
HEART RATE

Heart rate is widely accepted as a good method for measuring intensity during running, swimming, cycling and other aerobic activities. Exercise that doesn't raise your heart rate to a certain level and keep it there for 20 minutes won't contribute significantly to cardiovascular fitness.

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MYTHS AND FACTS

Every time you turn on the television or pick up a magazine you will find an advertisement for a miracle product that will help you lose weight or build muscle faster then you could ever dream possible...

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