***TIP FROM THE M.D THURSDAYS***

Here is the first health tip from Jason, my hubby. And a picture of him climbing (well, bouldering). One of his favorite activities .

Hey everyone! I’m Jason Barter, Jennifer’s husband. I started out as an Infantry Officer in the Army and ended up as an Emergency Medicine Physician doing residency training in Georgia right now. I’ve always had a passion for helping folks live fit, healthy lifestyles so once a week I’ll try to put out some information about how Jennifer and BeachBody can help you reach your goals. Along the way we will try and reinforce some facts and dispel some myths about exercise.

This week I’ll touch briefly on how moderate to vigorous exercise impacts your blood pressure. High blood pressure or Hypertension is anything > 140/90 and people end up with hypertension for a host of reasons. Genetics, diet and level of fitness can all play a role. For those of you just starting out on your fitness journey you will likely see the biggest gains in blood pressure reduction. In some studies systolic blood pressure (the high number) was reduced by as much as 10 mm Hg with 150 minutes a week of moderate to vigorous exercise. So, we will say something like the Shaun T’s T25 program would put you at 150 minutes a week of vigorous exercise. Voila! For those of you in the gray area right around 140/90 this could help bring your blood pressure down enough that you may be able to stay off blood pressure medication or, if you already require it, could help you reduce the amount over time. As a side note, only change your medication regimen in conjunction with your personal physician.

Here’s a little more info from the Mayo Clinic:http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/high-blood-pressure/HI00024/NSECTIONGROUP=2

Hope you all stay motivated this week and keep a long term view on your fitness!