High blood pressure and weights

[irlcycles]

My BP was elevated when I was at my GP recently. They had me monitor it at home for a week and it was mostly under 140/90 which is what they were hoping for but a few times it was over.

I immediately stopped weight lifting as I read online that heavy weight lifting is not recommended if your BP is high and instead to maybe look at higher reps with lighter weights. But as I say I stopped all weight training regardless and forgot to ask the GP if I needed to.

I walk a reasonable amount and cycle a bit but that is all I do. I don't do any strength exercises at all.

Does anyone here do weights with high BP? I'm convinced I can get mine down further with weight loss and a better diet.

[rosyG]

Hi

I think weights would only be dangerous if the systolic went too high I wonder if you can test it at the gym and see what it does. Weight loss is great for Blood pressure reduction I started meds about 6 weeks ago and have had to stop cos of side effects. I am walking as much as possible and (I was at the top of the healthy weight fr my BMI) have lost 5 lbs which is already making a difference. Hoping to lose a stone. My GP has told me to disregard the 1st BP reading as it's always much higher and the average the 2nd and 3rd reading

[Hidden]

Hi iricycles,

It's true that all exercise (and even quite moderate exercise at that), increases BP temporarily. With an average BP of 140/90 I don't think yours would be raised to a dangerous level and exercise is beneficial in the longer term for reducing BP.

However you really should just double check with your GP surgery that this is OK for you. There's probably no need for an appointment. Most surgeries now have some kind of call-back facility so that you can ask a question, and many have online facilities via their web pages.

Meantime, until you have the definitive answer, maybe don't increase the levels of exercise you are accustomed to, but I wouldn't necessarily stop altogether. So, in short, proceed with caution, and maybe just take your own reading post exercise, and again later on, after an hour or two, to see how you are doing. Home monitoring is the very best thing you can do when you have HBP. It will demonstrate to you how much BP fluctuates in the course of a day. But don't get paranoid about it!

[irlcycles]

Hello Callendersgal,

Thanks for the reply. Yeah I was thinking I will just try to get a phone appointment and ask that way. I left my BP readings in a few weeks ago and I haven't heard anything back yet, which is usually a good sign (touch wood).

I noticed on the days I cycled my BP would be really down, like close to normal, 120 something over 80 something. I really should try and cycle more.

[irlcycles]

Was talking to the GP today. They said I was ok to do light weights on a structured programme but avoid really heavy weights and nothing crazy which I guess is mostly what I was expecting they would say.

[Sphygmogirl90]

I have hypertension and still compete in bodybuilding events. Record your pressure during exercise. If it exceeds more than 100mm over baseline see a hypertension specialist for advice. I take IV blood pressure meds before each event in order to bring my pressure to acceptable levels.