Biking and Blood Pressure?

Where's a group to discuss the health effects of biking?

I'm not interested in biking for sport or pleasure.
I'm not interested in biking for transportation.
I am interested in saving the planet, just not in this thread.

I'm 62 years old. My blood pressure wants to be around
165/92. My doc has me on meds that bring it down into the high
130's. And riding my bike 3 miles brings it into the low
teens. But it doesn't stay more than a few hours.

Remember, I have no desire to bike. I just do it cause
I have to. I'm basically LAZY.

Every direction from my house involves multiple hills.

So, the question is:
What's the best riding strategy to get the most bang for the
effort expended.

I'm currently at the point where my legs give out
before I'm out of breath. But that's improving.

What should I monitor/control and what targets are appropriate?
breathing?
legs hurting?
heart rate?
blood pressure?
RPM on the pedals?
longer distances? Higher effort for shorter distances?
Other?

A related issue is dehydration. It's summer and I sweat a lot.
Drinking water doesn't help much. Adding sodium and potassium
salt makes me feel better, but that's counter-productive
for blood pressure. Anything I can do about dehydration
that won't hike the blood pressure? I'm more interested
in DIY home remedies than commercial sports drinks.

Thanks, mike

On Thu, 05 Aug 2010 16:39:28 -0700, mike wrote:

Where's a group to discuss the health effects of biking?

I'm not interested in biking for sport or pleasure.
I'm not interested in biking for transportation.
I am interested in saving the planet, just not in this thread.

I'm 62 years old. My blood pressure wants to be around
165/92. My doc has me on meds that bring it down into the high
130's. And riding my bike 3 miles brings it into the low
teens. But it doesn't stay more than a few hours.

A drop in blood pressure either during or shortly after exercise is
normal

Remember, I have no desire to bike. I just do it cause
I have to. I'm basically LAZY.

Every direction from my house involves multiple hills.

So, the question is:
What's the best riding strategy to get the most bang for the
effort expended.

I'm currently at the point where my legs give out
before I'm out of breath. But that's improving.

What should I monitor/control and what targets are appropriate?
breathing?
legs hurting?
heart rate?
blood pressure?
RPM on the pedals?
longer distances? Higher effort for shorter distances?
Other?

A related issue is dehydration. It's summer and I sweat a lot.
Drinking water doesn't help much. Adding sodium and potassium
salt makes me feel better, but that's counter-productive
for blood pressure. Anything I can do about dehydration
that won't hike the blood pressure? I'm more interested
in DIY home remedies than commercial sports drinks.

Thanks, mike

Its a problem. Too little water and you drop due to heat prostration
and too much defeats the effect of your BP medicine.

You do not mention it but one of the more common causes for high blood
pressure is being overweight.
Cheers,

John D. Slocomb
(jdslocombatgmail)

J. D. Slocomb wrote:
On Thu, 05 Aug 2010 16:39:28 -0700, mike wrote:

Where's a group to discuss the health effects of biking?

I'm not interested in biking for sport or pleasure.
I'm not interested in biking for transportation.
I am interested in saving the planet, just not in this thread.

I'm 62 years old. My blood pressure wants to be around
165/92. My doc has me on meds that bring it down into the high
130's. And riding my bike 3 miles brings it into the low
teens. But it doesn't stay more than a few hours.

A drop in blood pressure either during or shortly after exercise is
normal

Remember, I have no desire to bike. I just do it cause
I have to. I'm basically LAZY.

Every direction from my house involves multiple hills.

So, the question is:
What's the best riding strategy to get the most bang for the
effort expended.

I'm currently at the point where my legs give out
before I'm out of breath. But that's improving.

What should I monitor/control and what targets are appropriate?
breathing?
legs hurting?
heart rate?
blood pressure?
RPM on the pedals?
longer distances? Higher effort for shorter distances?
Other?

A related issue is dehydration. It's summer and I sweat a lot.
Drinking water doesn't help much. Adding sodium and potassium
salt makes me feel better, but that's counter-productive
for blood pressure. Anything I can do about dehydration
that won't hike the blood pressure? I'm more interested
in DIY home remedies than commercial sports drinks.

Thanks, mike

Its a problem. Too little water and you drop due to heat prostration
and too much defeats the effect of your BP medicine.

You do not mention it but one of the more common causes for high blood
pressure is being overweight.

I'm 5'10" 165#, so yes, I'm about 15# overweight.
Cheers,

John D. Slocomb
(jdslocombatgmail)

mike wrote:

I'm 5'10" 165#, so yes, I'm about 15# overweight.

Who the heck told you that?!?

On 8/5/10 6:39 PM, mike wrote:
Anything I can do about dehydration
that won't hike the blood pressure? I'm more interested
in DIY home remedies than commercial sports drinks.


1. Flat coke
2. Half juice/half water.
3. Banana & peanut butter.
4. GORP -- good ol' raisins and peanuts.

Kevan

Kevan Smith wrote:
On 8/5/10 6:39 PM, mike wrote:
Anything I can do about dehydration
that won't hike the blood pressure? I'm more interested
in DIY home remedies than commercial sports drinks.


1. Flat coke
2. Half juice/half water.
3. Banana & peanut butter.
4. GORP -- good ol' raisins and peanuts.

Pickle juice and Metamucil.

Kevan Smith wrote:
On 8/5/10 6:39 PM, mike wrote:
Anything I can do about dehydration
that won't hike the blood pressure? I'm more interested
in DIY home remedies than commercial sports drinks.


1. Flat coke
2. Half juice/half water.
3. Banana & peanut butter.
4. GORP -- good ol' raisins and peanuts.

Kevan


Doesn't GORP have more salt in it than...well..salt?

Bill Sornson wrote:
mike wrote:

I'm 5'10" 165#, so yes, I'm about 15# overweight.

Who the heck told you that?!?


I measured it myself with a ruler and a bathroom scale.

On 8/6/10 12:28 AM, mike wrote:

Doesn't GORP have more salt in it than...well..salt?

You can use unsalted peanuts.

mike wrote:
Bill Sornson wrote:
mike wrote:

I'm 5'10" 165#, so yes, I'm about 15# overweight.

Who the heck told you that?!?


I measured it myself with a ruler and a bathroom scale.

TMI.

(I meant who told you that 165 is 15 lbs overweight for a man 5'10.)

Bill "don't wanna hear about the ruler..." S.