Can exercise lower my blood pressure?

Can exercise lower my blood pressure?

John Spencer Ellis (Author, TV Show Host, Trainer and CEO, National Exercise & Sports Trainers Association) gives expert video advice on: Can exercise improve my mental health?; Can exercise improve my sleep?; Can exercise lower my blood pressure? and more...

Exercise affects blood pressure, both during and following exercise. During exercise your blood pressure will actually increase because the amount of blood being pumped out of your heart against the vessel walls is greater. It's like trying to push more water through a garden hose, so the pressure will increase. That's a normal response during exercise. After exercise, your heart is so efficient that it doesn't have to beat as many times per minute and it can just pump out a good volume of blood, and the vessels also have more elasticity, so they're more pliable and can accommodate that workload. They're also more relaxed, and everything just functions better. That's how you're better able to control your blood pressure through exercise.