Question about blood pressure

stevenbeans
stevenbeans Posts: 3
in Fitness and Exercise
I am super paranoid about everything, so naturally when I exercise I think I'm going to drop dead of a heart attack. Tonight on the elliptical, I was able to maintain 4-4.5 mph but my BP was pushing 160. I didn't feel very tired, but I did notice a little weirdness in my body, perhaps paranoia. During the last minute I cranked it up to 6.0 mph and my BP shot right up to 175, and even during the 2 minute cooldown it only got back down to 155.

I am pretty out of shape, just started the gym less than a month ago and have done almost nothing physical in the past 10 years. If there was a fitness scale 0-10 with 0 being a sloth and 10 a marathon runner, I'd probably put myself at just about to hit 1 and that's after 3 weeks of fitness. Needless to say I was a solid 0 a few weeks ago.

So, what should I do about breaking the barrier? It appears my wind is starting to come back as I ran for 8 minutes at 4-6mph, but I'm just worried about my BP. Will that begin to normalize? Ideally I'd like to see 150 BP at a steady jog pace, but I just want to make sure I'm doing it right and I don't have health problems.

Basically to sum up my ramblings... Is 175 BP high for a 0 fitness level? To decrease my BP, should I just keep working out at 160 BP for longer periods or time, or push my body to 175-180 BP?

Thanks for any help!

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edit:

I completely messed up. By blood pressure I mean heart rate

Replies

  • ixap
    ixap Posts: 675 Member
    You are measuring your blood pressure yourself while you're on the treadmill? How?
  • bluechip777
    bluechip777 Posts: 160 Member
    Do you mean heart rate?
  • stevenbeans
    stevenbeans Posts: 3
    Ugh sorry, yes heart rate. Completely messed up this post by saying BP.
  • Tucsonwoman
    Tucsonwoman Posts: 38 Member
    Newer model treadmills come with a place to rest your hands so it will read your BP.
  • MeMyCatsandI
    MeMyCatsandI Posts: 704 Member
    You're not going to die. My heart rate averages 150 and goes as high as 170 when I'm walking (YES, walking!). Both your resting hr and active hr will go down as you get more in shape. Just keep going.
  • Tucsonwoman
    Tucsonwoman Posts: 38 Member
    haha! Me too! It reads your heart rate. It should also tell you what your target rate should be and you should try to stay within those parameters. I'd take it easier for awhile personally. We didn't get out of shape overnight and we won't get in shape that quickly either. I will tell you that after walking the treadmill for an hour each day for 60 days I was able to stop taking my blood pressure medicine and I had been on it for 14.5 years. Amazing huh? I'd lost 20lbs and that was just enough to lower my bp naturally. You are on the right track! Just take it easy and steadily work upwards on your time. You'll get there faster then you think!
  • Irish_eyes75
    Irish_eyes75 Posts: 475
    Mine is usually around 180 when I'm pushing myself to the max.
    Why don't you google what your optimum heart rate for your age/height/weight and that way you can know exactly where you should be.
  • stevenbeans
    stevenbeans Posts: 3
    Ok I checked a few and:

    Web MD said my target should be 94-140 while exercising, while mayoclinic said 139-159.

    My maximum heart rate is 187 so I guess when I go at it I should probably stick between 160-170 as long as my breathing is ok and I'm feeling fine. It does help to know I can get up to 180 but I probably shouldn't workout at that level.

    Thanks for the replies everyone. I can't wait to get back some wind so I can try playing hockey again this winter. I'm throwing in 10 minutes of cardio after weight training, and I may end up doing more cardio on off-days if I can.
  • ixap
    ixap Posts: 675 Member
    LOL, okay - I was picturing some elaborate setup with a blood pressure cuff attached to the machine.

    Heart rate isn't the most reliable measure of exertion, and those guides are meant more to describe what is average / typical than to tell an individual what he/she should be doing.

    I think it's better to go by perceived exertion. When you are a new runner, your runs should all be at a moderate pace. It's okay to sweat and for your muscles to feel tired. You don't want to be breathless though - if you can't carry on a conversation, if you feel lightheaded or dizzy, if your chest hurts, if you feel like you are gasping or about to hyperventilate, slow it on down. Even if your heart rate is in the supposedly okay zone. By the same token, if it feels very easy, it's likely okay to up the pace a little, even if your heart rate is running high.

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