Julia B asked:
I just went to the doctor today and she told me that I have slightly high blood pressure (I don’t know the exact numbers) and I realized I don’t really know what blood pressure is! I know it is cause by obesity, eating bad foods, lack of exercise, etc… Why does exercising lower your bp? I heard it has something to do with your blood thinning? What are the two numbers? Any info would be helpful!
I just went to the doctor today and she told me that I have slightly high blood pressure (I don’t know the exact numbers) and I realized I don’t really know what blood pressure is! I know it is cause by obesity, eating bad foods, lack of exercise, etc… Why does exercising lower your bp? I heard it has something to do with your blood thinning? What are the two numbers? Any info would be helpful!
120 over 80 is the norm. you are wright about diet and exercise. Building a strong heart and cardio vascular system helps to lower your B/P. Exercise also lowers stress.
To much salt in your diet raises B/P. Eat raw celery and your B/P will drop 10% fast. Loose most of the sugar in your diet.
I think you know the rest so walk around the block every day.:) Good Luck
Blood pressure refers to the force exerted by circulating blood on the walls of blood vessels. the term blood pressure generally refers to the blood flow in your arteries.
the two numbers you spoke of are the systolic and the diastolic blood pressures.
The systolic arterial pressure is the peak pressure in the arteries, which occurs after your heart beats and forces the blood out into your arteries. This is the larger of the two numbers.
The diastolic arterial pressure is the other smaller number and is the lowest point of pressure, when the heart is resting before the next beat.
a normal healthy blood pressure is 120/80, spoken as “one twenty over eighty”
hypertension is the medical term for a raised blood pressure and values of above 140/90 are considered to be classed as hypertension.
excercising makes your heart bigger and stronger and therefore reduces the amount of effort needed to pump the blood and supply the oxygen to your muscles. if the heart isnt having to pump as hard then the pressure obviously drops.
If your blood pressure was just slightly high this once, the doctor may bring you back in for a few more readings in order to make sure it wasnt just a one off reading, maybe you were stressed about something or maybe you had just walked up a big flight of stairs. there is also a phenomenon called white coat syndrome where just seeing the doctor can make people nervous and lead to a small increase in blood pressure.
blood pressure can normally be controlled by leading a healthy and active lifestyle but sometimes if it is getting a bit too high meaning you are at risk of developing heart disease or stroke of it isnt controlled then your doctor may prescribe you one of many drugs. Ace inhibitors, Beta blockers, calcium channel blockers or diuretics. all very complex stuff!
but if your worried talk to you doctor he will reassure you and will be happy to answer any questions.
blood pressure can be caused by a variety of factors, smoking,diet, lack of exercise and genetics, exercise makes the heart muscles stronger, and able to push the blood around the arteries and veins more efficiently
Here’s a really good site that explains this: