Staying active by exercising regularly is an important part of remaining fit and healthy. However, if you struggle with certain health conditions like high blood pressure, some forms of physical activity can be dangerous.
It’s important to know what your body can handle and how to properly care for it—even if that means opting out of some strenuous exercises. We spoke with certified personal trainers Jake Dickson, CPT-NASM and Contributing Editor of BarBend, and Jesse Feder, RDN CPT from Strength Warehouse USA, to learn more about the long-term effects of blood pressure and why sprinting is the one high-intensity exercise you should never do if you struggle with this condition.
Avoid high-intensity exercises like sprinting
Chronically high blood pressure can cause long-lasting damage to your body. Feder warns that the increased pressure can create tears in your capillaries, veins, and arteries, which may lead to organ damage. "These tears can eventually narrow the pathway for blood to travel, which can lead to clogged arteries, heart attack, or stroke," he explains.
That's why it's so important to keep your blood pressure in check and avoid exercises that can make it worse. For those with high blood pressure, there's one valuable health rule to keep in mind when staying active: keep the intensity of your workouts to a minimum. "If you are dealing with high blood pressure, it is best to refrain from high-intensity exercise as this can raise your heart rate and blood pressure drastically," Feder warns.
Dickson echoes this sentiment: "When exercising, your blood pressure naturally rises, but holding your breath and doing more intense resistance training tends to increase it even more. If you already have high blood pressure, it makes sense not to do exercise that makes your blood pressure go up a lot."
Dickson says one particular high-intensity workout you should avoid if you experience high blood pressure is sprinting. "It can cause sudden spikes in blood pressure," he explains. "It is possible to have a heart attack or stroke while engaging in strenuous exercises like sprinting, where too much activity occurs in a relatively short period of time." Yikes! If you ask us, that's not worth the risk—so when you go on your next run, it may be best to pace yourself.
Cycling is a safe alternative to sprinting
Just because you shouldn't sprint with high blood pressure, that doesn't mean there aren't plenty of other safe ways to stay fit and active. In fact, regular physical activity is one great way to lower your blood pressure over time—which means eventually (with your doctor's permission) it may be safe for you to sprint again.
Dickson shares one safe alternative to sprinting for those with chronically high blood pressure: cycling. He says this cardio exercise is a perfect way to lower your blood pressure in the long run. "Cycling on the tracks or on a stationary bike for 30 minutes each day will suffice," Dickson says. "If a half-hour cycling session is too much for you, divide it into two 15-minute sessions or three 10-minute sessions." What really matters is that you get your blood flowing.
The bottom line is that strenuous, high-intensity exercises like sprinting are a bad idea if you struggle with chronically high blood pressure; putting your body under that sort of strain isn't worth the risk. However, if you stay active through moderate exercise and monitor your blood pressure under the guidance of a doctor, you'll be on track and sprinting safely in no time.
