“Is running ever bad for your heart?”

Make sure you are not overweight or have sleep apnea. Eat a low salt diet. Get enough sleep. Stay well hydrated. Lastly, if, in spite of everything, your blood pressure is still high, it is not the end of world if you have to be on medication. Better to protect your brain, heart, and kidneys against the adverse effects of untreated hypertension.

Unlike stress exercise, like lifting or body building, running causes the skeletal muscles to need a lot of blood, this in turn may exacerbate the rise in the blood pressure much more than the power form of exercise which causes less rise in blood volume function of the heart. Power exercise is probably better for people with high blood pressure for the long run. Both forms of work out may cause the heart to get enlarged, but that is normal for a healthy individual

Marathon runners have been implicated to have higher risk for atrial fibrillation. There is also risk of a disorder called athlete's heart. If you are worried about your heart, find a running buddy to share the journey and your fears.

Best of health,
Cardiologist

This is not bad for your heart.

Running without proper shoes , without stretching, without hydration should be avoided.
Running is good for your heart but hard on the knees and hips

Running that distance is great. You may need to reduce you salt intake and perhaps take meds, however

Les

Moderate amount of exercise is healthy. Running should alternate with some mild to moderate intensity strength training. Road running is different from treadmill. Road running neads to have proper technique and has to be at the intensity depending on your needs and health. For cardio as a goal the heart rate with running should usually be 130-160

Running is not bad for the heart. If a patient is known to have severe blockage of the arteries of the heart and did not have stent or open heart surgery and they continue running that can put them at risk, but it does not sound like your condition. Also patient's that have large aortic or abdominal aneurysm and they refuse surgery and continue exercising or running or at risk of rupture. if by cutting down salt, carbohydrate, soda, junk food and exercise your blood pressure remains >140 systolic , it could be genetic or aging (arteries get stiffer) and you will need medication

Running is good for the heart. If you have chest discomfort, palpitations, or trouble breathing with exercise you need to let your doctor know. You need to make sure your blood pressure is controlled and take your medications on regular basis.

Running is definitely good for your heart. I would advise to keep on running but in addition to that, stop smoking if you do, and adhere to a diet rich in fruits and vegetables and low in sodium (less salt) avoid canned and processed foods. Incorporate olive oil and nuts to your daily meals. That being said, if you blood pressure continues to be high talk to your doctor to start on medications and when you start make sure they are enough to lower your blood pressure. At the end of the day, it doesn't matter how you lower your blood pressure it matters that it's low (less then 140/90).

Running is a great exercise, but like anything else should be done in moderation. I think 3-4 miles a day is fine. Jim Fixx wrote a whole book on Running. Remember to keep hydrated with water and I think this shouldn't be a problem. If you are over 50 years old, I would consider a treadmill stress test because coronary artery disease is so prevalent.

I should not be , but before engaging in an agresiva program , with risk for heart disease its best to have your heart examined, maybe a supervised stress test , and echo. My worries about running outside are the orthopedic issues , knee, hip, Achilles etc, also make sure you have good running shoes. Last point look into alternative methods, stair master , cybex , and to get the best cardiovascular benefit , take 220, minus your age and try to achieve, 75\85% of that number.

Running is not bad for your heart. However exercise alone may not decrease your blood pressure if it is still elevated. It needs checked and monitored. Hypertension is the leading cause of congestive heart failure in US

Exercise helps with hypertension and running is a good and natural kind of exercise provided you train up to it. Running cross-country is better than running on the road as it uses a wider range of muscles and avoids repetitive stress on the joints. Exercise is also generally good for your heart but it's important to listen it and give yourself a rest if the exercise makes you feel ill. If it keeps making you feel ill it would be sensible to have a heart check-up.

Unfortunately the blood pressure is only lowered slightly by exercise so, by itself, it's usually not enough. Hypertension is mostly in your genes, and there for a good reason, that as a caveman living in a hot climate it improves your survival up to the age of about 40 (which is all that evolution is interested in). Of course we now have a rather different agenda and want to stay healthy to a ripe old age and hypertension definitely puts that at risk. So we have to correct the genetic tendency and this means taking regular meds to bring the blood pressure down to normal, 120/80, to protect us from having strokes and heart attacks after 40. The sooner we get the BP under control the less damage it does to our arteries: so, especially if there is hypertension in your family, you should start treatment with meds as soon as the problem is detected.

The most important way that your genes put up your blood pressure is by the hormone angiotensin, so treatment which blocks this is best as a start, with one or two other kinds added in to get good control as required. You should get your own blood pressure machine (the wrist type is most convenient) and take an average of about 20 readings (all at rest) over a week to check if the treatment is working, and repeat this every 2-3 months.

Best wishes,=20

Jonathan

Running on asphalt can be bad for your joints.