Hypertension

By mikey on Dec 6, 2007 | Reply

you should learn what your maximum heart rate is and follow any exercise plan your doctor advises. good luck to you.

By blaise_collins on Dec 9, 2007 | Reply

Good job right off the bat. I will start with a normal explanation and then incorporate hypertension at the end.
Typically, you want to work on duration and then on intensity. For instance, cardio is the best thing for hypertension, whether it be borderline hypertension or chronic hypertension. The point is to make the heart more efficient.
You want to start by working at 50% maxHR (220-age) and working up to 30 minutes on whatever cardio machine you feel is best. Once you reach 30 minutes, start increasing the intensity (set a goal of 70% maxHR for max benefits).

As an example, I will use a 25 year old. First off, maxHR (220-25) will be 195 beats per minute (bpm). 50% of that is about 98 bpm and 70% is about 140 bpm. To start, you want to check your pulse on your wrist, never your neck, for 6 seconds, and then multiply by 10 (so if you have 8 beats in 6 seconds, your estimated bpm is 80). Once you reach the intended intensity, just exercise for 30 minutes. Once you get to 70% comfortably, start increasing the time in 5-10 minute increments.
Now, hypertension. Unfortunately, people with hypertension generally have elevated heart rates. Many of these are are beta blockers or ACE inhibitors, which block your heart from getting to high. During exercise, this is bad. You want to still reach the goals, just be very careful and check your pulse every 5 minutes or so. If your heart rate does not get high enough, you get fatigued VERY quickly. The point is to progress every time and eventually you will reach an equilibrium.
And Im sure you already know, but if you have any cardiovascular ailments, consult a doctor before starting any exercise regiment.