Lack of regular exercise can cause hypertension

Lifestyle factors, including physical inactivity, are important modifiable risk factors in the development of hypertension. Not exercising can cause weight gain. Increased weight raises the risk of high blood pressure. People who are inactive also tend to have higher heart rates.

Acutely, exercise has been associated with immediate significant reductions in systolic blood pressure. Exercise can also help keep elevated blood pressure from turning into high blood pressure (hypertension). For those who have hypertension, regular physical activity can bring blood pressure down to safer levels.

This immediate reduction in blood pressure after exercise can persist for almost 24 hours and is referred to as post-exercise hypotension with the most pronounced effects seen in those with higher baseline blood pressure.

The reduction in blood pressure with physical activity is thought to be due to attenuation in peripheral vascular resistance, which may be due to neurohormonal and structural responses with reductions in sympathetic nerve activity and an increase in arterial lumen diameters, respectively.

Some examples of aerobic exercise that can help lower blood pressure include walking, jogging, cycling, swimming or dancing. Another possibility is high-intensity interval training.

Less active, less fit persons have a 30-50 percent greater risk of developing high blood pressure. Physical inactivity is a significant risk factor for cardiovascular disease itself. It ranks similarly to cigarette smoking, high blood pressure, and elevated cholesterol. Being inactive can lead to fatty material building up in the arteries. If the arteries that carry blood to the heart get damaged and clogged, it can lead to a heart attack.

Physical activity contributes to normal growth and development, reduces the risk of several chronic diseases, and helps people function better throughout the day and sleep better at night.

The American Heart Association recommends 30-60 minutes of aerobic exercise three to four times peer week to promote cardiovascular fitness. In 1996 the Report of the Surgeon General on Physical Activity and Health recommended the minimum level of physical activity required to achieve health benefits was a daily expenditure of 150 kilocalories in moderate or vigorous activities.
Lack of regular exercise can cause hypertension