Exercise is key to keeping your heart healthy. Aerobic exercise is one type of exercise that offers many benefits, from burning calories to maintaining agility. But it also has great health benefits. In an Instagram post on Oct. 30, Georgia-based cardiovascular surgeon Dr. Jeremy London shared how aerobic exercise can effectively lower blood pressure by retraining blood vessels.
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“As a cardiac surgeon, I have seen firsthand that movement is truly medicine. There are few things that lower blood pressure more effectively than consistent aerobic exercise,” says Dr. London, emphasizing the importance of staying active and making movement a part of your daily routine.
Aerobic exercise retrains blood vessels
Aerobic exercise effectively ‘retrains’ your vascular system, teaching your blood vessels and arteries to remain ‘more flexible, relaxed and responsive’, as cardiologists point out.
Dr. London went into detail about how aerobic exercise has deeper and very positive physiological effects. “Aerobic training lowers systemic vascular resistance, which means blood vessels constrict less and the heart doesn’t have to work as hard to pump blood throughout the body. When you move, walk, run, bike or swim, your blood vessels release nitric oxide, a powerful vasodilator that relaxes blood vessel walls and improves blood flow,” he said.
This means that doing aerobic exercise helps your heart perform its functions more easily and effectively. Aerobic exercise causes nitric oxide to be released naturally in your blood vessels, which helps keep your arteries relaxed instead of stiff.
“Over time, this repeated exposure retrains the endothelial cells, the inner lining of the arteries, to remain more comfortable, flexible and responsive,” Dr. London added.
In other words, aerobic exercise helps build resilient cardiovascular health. And when the arteries relax due to reduced resistance, blood flows more easily, resulting in less pressure on the cardiovascular system.
Helps with the sympathetic nervous system.
Aerobic exercise also helps reduce stress. Cardiologists say it lowers stress hormones and supports the body’s natural ability to relax and recover.
“Aerobic exercise also quiets the sympathetic nervous system, reducing circulating norepinephrine and downregulating the renin-angiotensin system, which normally causes vasoconstriction,” Dr. London added.
So aerobic exercise not only relaxes your arteries, but it also has the double benefit of managing stress, lowering blood pressure, and helping with overall cardiovascular health. Over time, doing daily aerobic exercise will help you reach a calmer baseline and allow your heart to function more effectively.
Note to readers: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified and does not endorse such claims. This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice.
