From effort to recovery: how exercise changes your blood pressure

Blood pressure is the pressure exerted by blood against the artery walls as the heart pumps blood throughout the body.

• Blood pressure is measured using two numbers: Systolic blood pressure: Pressure when the heart contracts to pump blood.
• Diastolic blood pressure: Pressure when the heart rests between beats.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), normal blood pressure in adults is about 120/80 mmHg.

High blood pressure (hypertension) is a condition in which blood pressure remains higher than normal for a long time, usually defined as: Systolic blood pressure ≥ 140 mmHg, or diastolic blood pressure ≥ 90 mmHg.

Immediate effects of exercise on blood pressure

Exercise has long been known as one of the effective methods to control and prevent high blood pressure. However, not everyone knows that our blood pressure changes immediately during and after exercise, and these changes play an important role in protecting cardiovascular health.

1. Temporary increase in blood pressure during exercise

When you start physical activity, your muscles will need more oxygen and nutrients to meet the needs of exercise. The heart must work faster and harder to pump oxygen-rich blood to the organs, leading to a temporary increase in blood pressure. This is a completely normal physiological response and is usually not harmful in healthy people.

For example, during brisk walking or cycling at moderate intensity, systolic blood pressure can increase by 20–40 mmHg compared to resting. This increase helps blood circulate better and supports faster metabolic processes.

2. Post-exercise hypotension

Interestingly, right after you finish your workout, your body enters a phase called post-exercise hypotension. During this phase, your blood vessels remain dilated, your heart rate gradually returns to normal, and your blood pressure drops to a lower level than before you exercised.

This effect can last from a few hours to a whole day, depending on the intensity and duration of your workout. This is one of the important reasons why regular exercise helps lower blood pressure in the long term.

3. Long-term benefits from the immediate effect

Repeating the post-exercise hypotension effect every day is like “training” your cardiovascular system to work more efficiently. In the long term, your blood vessels become more elastic, your circulatory system becomes healthier, and your average blood pressure is maintained at a stable level.

Research shows that just 30 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise per day can reduce systolic blood pressure by an average of 4–9 mmHg — a reduction comparable to some blood pressure medications.

What types of exercise are good for lowering blood pressure after exercise?

To maximize the benefits of lowering blood pressure after exercise, you should combine different forms of exercise that both stimulate the cardiovascular system and increase the body’s endurance and flexibility.

Here are some suggested exercises you can plan to practice:

• Brisk walking: Do 30–45 minutes per day, at least 5 days/week. This is a simple form of aerobic exercise, easy to do and puts little pressure on the joints. When walking briskly, keep a moderate pace so that your heart rate increases but is still enough to talk.
• Swimming: Do 20–30 minutes, 3 times/week, at a moderate pace. Water helps reduce pressure on joints, while the cool environment helps control body temperature, which is very suitable for people with high blood pressure.
• Cycling: Can be done outdoors or on an exercise bike at the gym, 30 minutes, 3-5 times/week. This activity helps improve cardiovascular endurance, increase blood circulation and burn energy effectively.
• Strength training: 2-3 times/week, focusing on large muscle groups such as legs, back, chest, shoulders. When combined with aerobic exercises, strength training will help increase muscle mass, improve metabolism and support better blood pressure control. You should exercise with moderate weights and have reasonable rest periods to avoid high blood pressure while lifting weights.

Safety principles when exercising

Include:

• Warm up for 5-10 minutes before exercising and relax after finishing.
• Do not exercise immediately after a large meal or when the weather is too harsh.
• Adjust the intensity so that you can still breathe and talk while exercising. Stop and rest if you experience chest pain, dizziness, or shortness of breath.