High blood pressure is a deadly condition that affects more than 25 per cent of all adults in the UK.
The condition, which is also known as hypertension, puts extra stress on blood vessels, and the vital organs around the body.
But eating a healthy, balanced diet, and doing regular exercise, could lower your risk of high blood pressure symptoms.
If you have high blood pressure, you should avoid doing certain exercises, however. One of the worst workouts for hypertensive patients is high-intensity interval training (HIIT), it’s been claimed.
HIIT exercises should be avoided by people with high blood pressure, warned fitness advisor Niko Algieri.
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The exercise is a type of fast-paced interval training, which aims to work muscles very quickly, over a short period of time.
But, doing HIIT could raise the heart rate to dangerous levels in hypertensive patients, warned Algieri.
For those wanting to incorporate HIIT into their workout routines, it’s best to start slow, and build up to it over a longer period of time.
“Having high blood pressure stems from being inactive and unhealthy so the first advice is to be more active,” said Algieri, who is co-founder of Equilibrium Total Balance.
“You can’t just instantly attend a HIIT class and move your body as fast as you can, spiking your heart rate to dangerous levels.
“As with all conditions of the heart, you have to ease into it.
“In general, it’s thought that cardio is the answer when in fact movement at first is key as well as improving your nutrition.
“So to lower blood pressure, just get moving first and foremost, be it a walk, a jog, a yoga class, just start.”
As with HIIT, high blood pressure patients should also avoid sprinting for long periods of time, it’s been claimed.
Sprinting is one of the less helpful types of exercises for hypertension, as it quickly raises blood pressure and puts unnecessary strain on blood vessels, said charity Blood Pressure UK.
Instead, look for aerobic exercises that are repetitive with rhythmic movements.
Walking, jogging, dancing and swimming are all great choices of workout for people with high blood pressure, it said.
They all use the largest muscles groups of the body, including in the legs, shoulders and arms.
You could be at risk of high blood pressure if you eat an unhealthy diet, or even if you don’t do enough exercise.
Everyone should aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity every week, said the NHS.
Speak to a doctor or pharmacist to have your blood pressure checked. All adults over 40 years old should check their blood pressure at least every five years.