From Men’s Health, reporting on the recent findings of a group of British researchers:

Morning exercise may be risky if you have high blood pressure or other heart disease risk factors. In the morning arteries are less able to widen for the increased blood flow (i.e. they are less flexible), especially in people who are [first] starting an exercise program. This could loosen vulnerable plaque build up in the arteries and cause a blockage. More studies will have to access whether regular exercise helps arteries open up [and regain flexibility].

This information on blood pressure and exercise reminds me of my previous post on high blood pressure and exercise which essentially said the same thing. It seems that it is fairly obvious that for those with high blood pressure who have not been involved in a routine workout program, you should be very careful with the way you set about it. According to my previous post, you should take it easy with your exercise as your heart is not acclimated to the stress. This report suggests that working out in the morning may cause excess stress on the arteries. This leads me to believe that it is probably best for those with high blood pressure to begin their exercise program slowly by exercising after eating in the afternoon and evening.

Walking periodically throughout the day as opposed to one long hike has been shown to do the best for the heart and walking after eating meals has been shown to immediately neutralize much of the negative effects of cholesterol and fats in your food. Aside from eliminating all cholesterol and fats simply walking after eating can achieve more benefit than walking before eating can. Further extrapolation of the theory suggests that after a regular exercise regimen has been employed then gradual intensity can be added and eventually exercise in the mornings may become less risky as chronic hypertension decreases and arterial elasticity returns.

Source
Men’s Health, Oct. 2009

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