Pushing too hard? Weightlifting, HIIT and other exercises that can be tough on high blood pressure

Hypertension doesn't announce itself. Most people with high blood pressure feel fine until something goes wrong—a stroke, a heart attack, kidney failure. That's why it's called the silent killer. The numbers are staggering. About 1.28 billion adults worldwide have hypertension, according to the WHO. Half don't even know they have it. High blood pressure causes roughly 10 million deaths annually and accounts for 7% of global disease burden. It's the leading modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease. In low and middle-income countries, the prevalence is rising faster than in wealthy nations. Only about 42% of hypertensive adults globally are aware of their condition.

“High blood pressure should not keep people from exercising altogether and performing physical activity on a regular basis, in fact, exercise is a means of controlling blood pressure and improving overall cardiovascular health. However, specific exercises can cause an individual's blood pressure reading to spike immediately before putting additional strain on their entire cardiovascular system, causing concerns for individuals with high blood pressure who do not have well-controlled hypertension and related cardiac issues,” Dr. Binay Kumar Pandey, Director & HOD- Interventional Cardiology, Electrophysiology, Yatharth Super Speciality Hospital Faridabad Sector -88 told TOI Health.

“Individuals with hypertension, especially those who have uncontrolled hypertension and cardiac conditions, should particularly avoid heavy weight lifting or perform heavy weight lifts under the supervision of experienced fitness professionals. Lifting heavy weights i e > 75% of one's maximum lifting capability, can lead to rapid and potentially dangerous increases in blood pressure when performed while holding one's breath. Other types of weightlifting workouts, such as deadlifts, heavy squats i.e. > 24 kg or very high intensity bench press workouts may also increase the likelihood of dizziness and pressure in the chest for certain individuals with hypertension and from developing heart problems,” the expert urges.

HIIT may not be appropriate for individuals experiencing hypertension for many reasons including, if you're a newcomer to fitness, you have high-uncontrolled BP, have just lost a loved one, etc, the doctor warns and explains the body needs time to recover from these intense oxygen deficits caused by brief out of breath intervals. “HIIT exercise programs that entail out-of-breath intervals create rapid increases and decreases in BP, ultimately stressing or straining the cardiovascular system. The more strenuous cardio sessions ,intense long-distance running, extreme endurance workouts like cross fit, sprinting, etc. should therefore be implemented carefully,” he explains.

Dr. Binay says forceful muscle contraction via push-ups or jumping rope play an equal part in BP to rapid directional changes or rapid-core movement where proper mechanics have been abandoned. Pushing hard during a CrossFit WOD, pushing hard during push-ups or during competitive sports also play a role in increasing your chances of developing high BP responses.

“People who suffer from hypertension will want to engage in safe activities. Which will include, brisk walking, riding a bike, swimming, practicing yoga, stretching, and moderate aerobic exercise. Always warm up properly before exercising, and drink plenty of water during your workout to stay hydrated, don't work out in excessively hot weather, and get your pulse checked frequently. Before beginning any exercise program, people with uncontrolled hypertension or heart disease should consult with their doctor prior to starting a new exercise routine and engaging in a new fitness activity,” the Delhi NCR based suggests.