Just wondered if any of you runners are/have been on blood pressure medication? If so, I wondered if running has had a positive impact on your blood pressure.
I only ask as I have been on BP meds for 12 years, I don't smoke and drink very occasionally. I am 1 and a half stones overweight and have not been a regular exerciser until now and would love to be able to regulate my blood pressure through regular exercise.
hiya Secretrunner.
part of the reason why im doing this is because i was diagnosed with very high bloodpressue. i dont smoke and dont drink to excess. they did say i was obese (im a size 12) they did loads of tests and couldnt find out why the bp was so high but couldnt find anything. So, they're putting it down to age (im 38), stress (im in the legal profession) and my weight. highest readings at one stage was 201/98!!!! (i did go to the hospital and have a load of wires attached at one stage.....) The consultant said that i should start tablets.
lifestyle change it is then, because i'll be marrying Brad Pitt if im resorting to tablets just yet!!!
found this community and its got me exercising. Im trying to be less stressed at work and home, trying to be more positive. relaxing a bit more with my fella, family and friends. ive cut down on treats such as cake and chocolate and other such lovely things... and its all working!! the bp has come down to more acceptable numbers and im not on the tablets. eat that consulant!! it made me so mad that they want to put you on medication just like that. pah!!
hope helps. its not easy at times, but i definitely would recommend a little "lifestyle change" .
regards,
ali 
Hi SecretRunner,
With the usual caveats about my not being a doctor etc.. Are you familiar with some of the recent research - fad, some might say - on Intermittent Fasting? I became very interested in it after watching a Horizon episode about it (youtube.com/watch?v=pD3ug4E.... It appears that regular limited periods of calorie restriction can have some amazing impacts on the body apart from the expected weight loss, including reduced BP. I have not experimented much because I am currently trying C25K and although I'm not a doctor, even I think that learning to run on IF might not be smart...
Anyway, I throw this in because it seemed revolutionary to me - expect to hear a lot more about IF if you haven't already...
Oops - looks like my link to YouTube is trying to embed itself on the page?!? Apologies to the admins - that wasn't my intention... Just go to YouTube and search for "Horizon eat fast live longer".
Hi secretrunner and AuntieAli....much the same here...high BP controlled by meds...and I've been hooked up to wires etc and had an ECG........how can you be a size 12 and obese ? I am a size 14 and only classed as over weight. Don't smoke, rarely drink.....but I do have asthma. I have been doing the Lesley Sansone 5 mile walk regularly at home but now think I neeed a bit more so am trying to get up the motivation to persist with this running. My problem is that cold air sets off my asthma...trying to run while you cough and wheeze is not easy !! and I hate wet and cold......
hiya Meriad.
my experience has been that different doctors tell you different things. the consultant said obese (using the BMI charts), my GP said not so. hey ho! im ok with my weight actually. i like my curves. just need to tone them up a bit (and this running is helping) but unfortunately i do know that i need to cut down on all the goodies!
anyway, looks like we're doing a lot on our own to tackle our health and well being problems.
hope you manage to continue running with your asthma. in this country you cant escape from the wet and cold.....
ali
Thank you for all your replies. Meadows mower, you hit the nail on the head, I read about Intermittent Fasting in the saturday Times a couple of weeks ago and I have tried it for the first time this week. Not sure yet if it will make any difference to BP or weight but it does seem like an easy way to diet and all the health benefits that are supposed to follow sound pretty amazing. Are you thinking of trying it?
Auntie Ali, well done on staying off the tablets and I am pleased to hear that you have reduced your BP. I do think that some people though are just more prone to a higher BP, it just means that we can't get away with any additional risk factors.
I do think that Couch to 5k has empowered me though to take control and believe that I can change things about my health and fitness.
Sorry - missed this response. No, I'm in W4 of C25K and it came along just as I planned to try out Alternative Day Diet... I've never done dieting and I'm not especially interested in losing weight - although I'm getting more aware of my middle age spread since I stopped smoking - it was really just the general health impact I was interested in...I was reading this book for more background first and would recommend it (apart from the horrible sounding recipes):
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