BLOOD PRESSURE

 It comes as no surprise that my blood pressure is lower than most folks my age.  Periodically, news feeds post some article touting the benefits of exercise, and lower blood pressure is one of those benefits.  Since I've been exercising all my adult life, I fully expect my BP to be low.  That being said, a lot of it is due to genetics.  For instance, my wife has a much lower BP than I do and has had all her life, exercising or not.

Like most of you, after I finish a long or arduous ride I'll get cleaned up, eat something, then rest, usually in my recliner.  But after sitting awhile, when I get up I need to wait a few seconds to let my BP adjust.  Otherwise I get shaky (not dizzy).  In the past if I ignored this warning, I've had my knees buckle.  This has been going on for years and I'm used to it.

Lots of jokes have been made about old guys having nothing to talk about except their health, or lack thereof.  I must admit, health takes up much of my thoughts as I get older.  To that end, early in the pandemic, we purchased a dosimeter.  This was to check our blood oxygen level to make sure Covid didn't sneak up on us.  After copious use, I found that my normal level was borderline low, both before and after riding.  Occasionally it would register a 98 but mostly 94-96 (my wife is a consistent 98).  I'm wondering if that is part of the reason I don't do better when racing.  More on that in a later post.  Recently we acquired a high-end BP monitor.  I get my BP checked a lot.  The dentist, the ophthalmologist, the physical therapist, and various other doctors all start by checking it.  Most of the time it registers close to 120/70.  The last visit to the dentist had me at 168/80, which tells me my body doesn't like the dentist even if my brain does.  A similar reading at the urologist.  Yes, old folks have lots of physicians.

Most, if not all, of my doctor visits come before cycling.  Since we have this new toy, I'm able to take a reading after riding.  The first time it wasn't on purpose.  I did my ride, clean up etc.  A few hours later I came to the computer (the BP monitor is set up on the desk) and decided to check.  I felt fine, hadn't had to wait when I got up from the recliner.  When I saw the result, I figured the monitor had malfunctioned.  But I just moved on to whatever I wanted to look up on the computer.  The next day I checked in the morning and had a 113/79, which solidified my thought the previous reading was a malfunction.  Several days later I checked after cycling and registered 81/57.  That got my attention and my curiosity.  Over the next week I registered 121/69, 119/72, 95/69, and 83/54.  Yes, the low ones were after cycling.  For the record, we've had the BP monitor for a couple of months and mostly it just sits there.  It was only after the low readings did I check it daily for a week.

After my last one of 86/61 I decided to message my cardiologist to ask if I should come in early (I go annually anyhow).  But then, I just Googled "low BP and exercise" and went to a respected site to read what they had to say.  I was assured that a lower BP after exercise is normal and to be expected.  Nothing I read gave any real numbers.  So, while I'm not too concerned, I'll be quizzing my cardiologist if a 30 point drop is acceptable.  In the meantime, I'll assume it is and carry on my training as planned.

Those reading this post all exercise, but maybe they know folks who don't and need a little push to get started.  Lowering their BP might be just the shove they need.