Effects of exercise on my blood pressure

About a year ago, I decided to get into shape, and lose some weight.  One of the side effects of losing weight and eating healthily was that my blood pressure dropped from around the 140/90 area down to 115/70 and below.  During the last year I have done a lot of weight training and aerobic exercise and have lost about 12 Kilograms in weight (that’s nett weight loss, since I have put on a considerable amount of muscle as well, so consider myself to by quite fit.

In this experiment, I wanted to see how exercise affected my blood pressure.

The experiment was simple.

I would do 7 minutes of weight training while seated (this involved shoulder presses).  Immediately afterwards I took my blood pressure twice, with three minutes in between.  I then did another 7 minutes of weights, but this time standing up (bicep curls).  After this 7 minutes I took my blood pressure immediately, and for several minutes afterwards.

Here are my results:

Here are my results in Graphical format:

Note that the arrows in the graph represent 7 minutes of exercise.

The immediate thing to notice is the obvious.  After exercise, my heart rate increases.  Heart rate increases to increase the flow of blood around the body so that increased oxygen uptake and increased release of carbon dioxide from the tissues can take place.

As for blood pressure, there are slight increases in both diastolic (lower) and systolic pressure (upper) pressures.  From rest, until the first measurement after the first 7 minutes of exercise, the systolic increase by 11 mmHg.  That represents a 9.8% increase in systolic pressure over the resting pressure.  The same measurement for diastolic shows the pressure going up 13 mmHg, representing an increase of 19.7% increase over the resting diastolic pressure.  It would therefore seem that in my case, both diastolic and systolic increase after exercise, though diastolic increase more.  Remember that the diastolic pressure is the pressure in my blood vessels BETWEEN heart beats, so my system is under higher pressure when at “rest”, after exercise.

12 minutes after exercise finished both blood pressure and heart rate was still elevated, so it appears that in my case at least, exercise did increase blood pressure, and that the increase lasted for some time after exercise finished, as did my elevated heart rate.

Related Blood Pressure Articles

Low blood pressure is given the medical term “Hypotension” (as opposed to hypertension which is high blood pressure). Low blood pressure occurs when the pressure in the blood vessels falls below normal limits. Although different sources have different criteria for low blood pressure, we can assume that anything below 90/60 is low.
It is very difficult [...]

In these experiments, I used an upper arm cuff home blood pressure monitor to measure my blood pressure on an empty stomach, after drinking a large cup of decaffeine coffee.
I used a filter coffee machine to prepare a large cup of coffee, made with decaffeinated ground coffee. The process was exactly the same as my [...]

In these experiments, I used a home blood pressure monitor (upper arm cuff), to measure my blood pressure in the morning, on an empty stomach, after drinking a large cup of caffeine coffee.
To prepare for each set of readings, I sat down for 5 minutes before taking the first reading.
The coffee used in this experiment [...]

In these experiments, I used a home blood pressure monitor (upper arm cuff), to measure my blood pressure in the morning, on an empty stomach.
To prepare for each set of readings, I got into position, and waited quietly for 5 minutes before taking the first reading.
I then took a minimum of 3 readings for each [...]

In this blood pressure experiments, I used a home blood pressure monitor (upper arm cuff), to measure my blood pressure before, during and after smoking a large cigar. I took readings every 5 minutes or so, to see if smoking would cause changes to my blood pressure.
Incidentally, I am not a doctor. These experiments are [...]

In this first of many blood pressure experiments, I used a home blood pressure monitor (upper arm cuff), to measure my blood pressure during my waking day.
The readings were not taken at specific intervals, and I have made no attempt to show on this graph when I ate food, did exercise, drank coffee, or anything [...]

Further Reading
The following books are related to high blood pressure and offer more information on this topic.

Your Body’s Many Cries For Water – Dr. F. Batmanghelidj
An amazing book which contradicts much of the common advise given to patients suffering from a wide range of illnesses. Dr. Batmanghelidj discovered the powerful healing properties of water while [...]

Unfortunately, there are often no symptoms of high blood pressure – which is why it is often called the “silent killer”.
You will often find out you suffer from high blood pressure (hypertension) on a routine visit to the doctor, or when going to see the doctor about another complaint (which may be as a direct [...]

Glossary of terms related to hypertension / high blood pressure.
Arterial Hypertension – also just called “hypertension”, refers to a condition where blood pressure is elevated above normal. Normal is usually quoted as below 120/80.
White coat syndrome – a condition where an individual has elevated blood pressure at the doctors office, yet has much reduced / [...]