Looking for the Perfect Father's Day Gift?

Instead of braving the crowd at restaurants and shopping malls this Father's Day, give your dad the gift of health by getting active with him! (Especially if he has high blood pressure).

“Becoming more active is an important and effective way to help bring down blood pressure to normal levels,” advises the Physiotherapy department at Singapore General Hospital (SGH), a member of the SingHealth group. “However, this needs to be done together with pharmacological therapy, if prescribed.”

As high blood pressure has no symptoms, it is commonly known as a “silent killer”. If left untreated in the long-term, it can cause damage to the heart and blood vessels, leading to heart attack, stroke or renal failure.

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To control high blood pressure, a doctor may prescribe medications like diuretics (“water pills”), beta-blockers or calcium channel blockers. But sometimes, a doctor may first recommend lifestyle changes, such as exercise and cutting down on salt.

How exercise helps to lower blood pressure​

Blood pressure is affected by the resistance of the peripheral blood vessels (those vessels outside the heart): the higher the peripheral resistance, the higher the blood pressure.

Long-term exercise has a positive effect on blood pressure because it reduces the resistance of the peripheral blood vessels via hormonal effects and structural adaptations.

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In fact, regular physical activity of at least 30 minutes on most days of the week can lower blood pressure by 5 to 10 mmHg, a reduction similar to that achieved with some blood pressure drugs.

Exercising regularly can also help to maintain a healthy weight, which is also crucial in controlling blood pressure. Usually, the greater the BMI (Body Mass Index), the greater the blood pressure. This is attributed to the greater output from the heart, as well as the reduced insulin sensitivity, which also affects the blood pressure.

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