But it also has major health advantages. Georgia-based cardiovascular surgeon, Dr Jeremy London, shared in an October 30 Instagram post about how aerobic exercises can effectively lower blood pressure by retraining blood vessels to relax.
"As a heart surgeon, I have seen firsthand that movement is truly medicine. And fewer things lower blood pressure more effectively than consistent aerobic exercise," Dr London said, emphasising the importance of staying active and making movement a part of everyday routine.
Aerobic exercise retrains blood vessels
When you do aerobic exercise, you effectively 'retrain' as the heart surgeon noted, the vascular system, teaching blood vessels and arteries to stay 'more flexible, relaxed and responsive'.
Dr London elaborated on how aerobic exercises have a deeper and very positive physiological impact. "Aerobic training lowers systemic vascular resistance, meaning your blood vessels become less constricted and your heart doesn't have to work as hard to push blood throughout your body. When you move, walk, run, cycle, or swim, your blood vessels release nitric oxide, which is a powerful vasodilator that relaxes vessel walls and improves blood flow," he said.
It means that when you are doing aerobic exercises, you are helping your heart to do its job more easily and effectively. Because of aerobic exercise, nitric oxide is naturally released by blood vessels, which helps to keep arteries relaxed instead of stiff.
Dr London further added, "Over time, this repeated exposure retrains your endothelium, which is the inner lining of your arteries, to stay more relaxed, flexible and responsive."
In other words, aerobic movements help to build resilient cardiovascular health. And when arteries are relaxed with reduced resistance, blood flows easily, which in turn lowers the pressure on the cardiovascular system.
Benefits sympathetic nervous system
Aerobic exercise also helps to reduce stress. The heart surgeon revealed that it lowers stress hormones and supports the body's natural ability to relax and recover.
"Aerobic exercise also quiets your sympathetic nervous system, reducing circulating norepinephrine, and it downregulates the renin angiotensin system, which normally drives vasoconstriction," Dr London added.
So aerobic exercise has double benefits as it not only keeps arteries relaxed, but also manages stress, helping to lower blood pressure and overall cardiovascular health. Over time, when one does aerobic exercise daily, they reach a calmer baseline, and their heart functions more effectively.