Swimming and jogging: Exercise guidelines and precautions for patients with hypertension

Swimming is an excellent form of exercise. Experiments have shown that it can effectively relieve brain tension and reduce the sensitivity of vascular smooth muscle, thus playing a role in the prevention and treatment of hypertension. Therefore, appropriate swimming is beneficial for the prevention and treatment of hypertension. However, is swimming suitable for all hypertensive patients? This cannot be generalized. Generally speaking, patients with primary hypertension (stage I) whose symptoms are not severe, and who have previously been avid swimmers, can swim. Even those who cannot swim can learn to swim appropriately to aid in the treatment and recovery of their condition. However, due to the high intensity of swimming, each swimming session should not be too long. Those with cardiovascular or cerebrovascular complications (such as stage II or III hypertension) or even early-stage hypertension patients with significant symptoms should avoid swimming to prevent the risk of stroke or other dangers. Furthermore, those with secondary hypertension (or symptomatic hypertension), such as hypertension caused by polycystic kidney disease, pheochromocytoma, nephritis, etc., should also avoid swimming until the primary disease is cured.

Jogging is recommended. Jogging, also known as fitness jogging, is a popular exercise worldwide in recent years. It's simple, requires no special location or equipment, and is one of the most common ways to prevent disease and maintain health. Jogging provides 8-10 times more oxygen than when at rest, providing beneficial stimulation to the heart and blood vessels, effectively enhancing cardiopulmonary function and endurance. Appropriate jogging can strengthen leg muscles and has a significant training effect on all muscles, especially the joints and muscles of the lower limbs. It can reduce weight, lower blood lipids, and help lower blood pressure. At the same time, jogging can improve the body's metabolic function, regulate cerebral cortex function, promote a cheerful mood, promote gastrointestinal motility, enhance digestive function, and alleviate or eliminate symptoms such as dizziness, headaches, and insomnia in patients with hypertension. Therefore, jogging therapy is also a common method for managing and maintaining health in patients with hypertension, and is suitable for those with mild hypertension.

Before jogging, remove some clothing slightly and do 3-5 minutes of warm-up exercises, such as moving your feet, ankles, and knees, stretching your limbs, or doing a few short calisthenics. Then gradually transition from walking to jogging. When jogging, relax all your muscles, clench your fists slightly, bend your elbows to about 90 degrees, lean your upper body slightly forward, let your arms swing naturally at your sides, avoid lifting your legs too high, maintain a stable center of gravity, breathe deeply and evenly, coordinating with your stride, and land on the balls of your feet first, not your heels.

Start jogging at a slow pace, beginning with shorter distances and gradually increasing the distance. Adjust your speed and time according to your individual circumstances. The exercise intensity should be such that your heart rate does not exceed 120 beats per minute, and you feel slightly warm but not fatigued. A jogging speed of 100-120 meters per minute is generally suitable, and the duration should be controlled to 8-15 minutes.

Choose a location with fresh air and flat roads for jogging. Avoid running immediately after meals or eating immediately after running. After jogging, do some cool-down activities, wipe away sweat with a dry towel, and get dressed.

However, if you experience shortness of breath, palpitations, chest pain, or abdominal pain while jogging, you should immediately slow down or stop running, and seek medical attention if necessary. Additionally, jogging is contraindicated for individuals with severe hypertension (whose blood pressure remains above 180/130 mmHg despite medication); patients with serious complications of the heart, brain, or kidneys, such as hypertensive heart disease, coronary heart disease, or angina; and those who have experienced a myocardial infarction or coronary heart disease with severe arrhythmia or heart failure within the past six months.