Why it’s important

You probably know that being active can help lower your blood pressure. But fitting physical activity into your busy life can be hard. It may help to remember this: regular physical activity can help improve high blood pressure, as well as other health conditions. Regular physical activity can also help you:

• Strengthen your heart
• Reduce your risk for other health problems
• Lose weight
• Reduce stress, depression, and anxiety

How to be more active

All these health benefits make it worth finding ways to fit exercise into your day. Combining regular exercise with medicine, such as AZOR, can make a difference in getting you to your blood pressure goal. Remember: you don’t need to join a gym to be physically active. But you do need to talk with your doctor before starting any exercise program. The following chart can give you some ideas for how you can get moving.

Physical activities you can try
Moderate physical activity (may be easy to do)	Challenging physical activity (may be hard to do)
Walking for pleasure, gardening, doing yard work	Brisk walking, hiking, stair-climbing
Doing housework, dancing, doing home exercise as directed by a doctor or physical therapist	Jogging, running, bicycling, rowing, swimming

Fitting activity into your daily life

Talk with your doctor about ways to be active and the amount of activity you should do. Remember:

• You don’t have to do it all at once. You can break it up—do some activity at one time and some later
• Buddy up with someone. For instance, take walks with a family member or friend. It can make the activity more fun—which may help you stick with it
• Set a goal, and reward yourself when you reach it. You could treat yourself to a movie or a massage. You deserve it!

Notice and Healthcare Provider Certification

The following information is intended only for healthcare professionals licensed and practicing in the United States and is designed to be an educational aid that supplements and draws upon the professional training, experience, and knowledge of such healthcare professionals. If you are a patient or consumer, or are seeking the information for the benefit of a patient or consumer, please see the patient information section of our site, which has been specifically designed to provide information of interest to patients and consumers.

Do you certify that you are a healthcare professional licensed and practicing your profession in the United States?