Key takeaways

  • Certain prescription medications can change how your body responds to exercise.
  • Beta blockers can lower your heart rate and make it harder to reach target workout intensity, while diuretics may increase dehydration risk during exercise.
  • Talk with your doctor about the best workout routine for your specific medications.

While staying active is one of the best things you can do for your health, the prescription medications in your cabinet might be silently rewriting your workout rules.

Many commonly prescribed drugs, including certain blood pressure medications or antibiotics, can affect how your body responds to a workout. Understanding these hidden interactions isn’t about not exercising at all. It’s about knowing how to protect your body so you can break a sweat safely.

Blood pressure medications, such as lisinopril (Zestril), losartan (Cozaar), or hydrochlorothiazide, are designed to lower your blood pressure.

Exercise is good for your health because it also helps lower your blood pressure. A drop in blood pressure after a workout is expected, but it can be made worse if you’re also taking these medications. This can lead to dizziness, lightheadedness, or fainting.

One specific type of blood pressure medications, beta-blockers, has additional risks for exercising:

  • Masking low blood sugar symptoms: Beta-blockers can mask the symptoms of low blood sugar. But one symptom of low blood sugar, sweating, is not masked by beta-blockers. It is typical to sweat during your workout, but it may make it harder to recognize other signs of low blood sugar while taking beta-blockers.
  • Lower heart rate: beta-blockers lower your heart rate. This means that if you are trying to reach a target heart rate during your workout, a beta-blocker can make it harder to reach. It can be harder to judge your exercise intensity level while taking a beta-blocker.

Also, diuretics can lead to dehydration, which can cause loss of energy, muscle weakness, and cramps. Exercising can also lead to dehydration.

Safety tips for exercising with blood pressure medications
  • Stay hydrated.
  • Be careful when moving from a lying down position to sitting or standing.
  • If you feel dizzy or lightheaded, sit down and take a break or stop your workout for the day.

Statins, such as atorvastatin (Lipitor), help to lower cholesterol. These medications can cause muscle pain as a side effect. In rare cases, they can cause rhabdomyolysis, which is a serious medical condition.

If you are experiencing muscle pain or cramps while taking a statin, it may be best to stick to exercises that don’t strain your muscles as much. This could include focusing on cardio rather than resistance training.

Keep in mind that this side effect is likely to improve after a couple of weeks of taking the statin medication.

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Fluoroquinolones are a class of antibiotics used to treat certain infections. Examples of these medications include ciprofloxacin (Cipro) and levofloxacin (Levaquin).

These antibiotics carry a boxed warning about the risk of tendon weakness (the tissue that connects your muscles to your bones). They can also cause inflammation, muscle aches, and joint pain.

High-intensity exercises, such as sprinting, explosive jumping, heavy lifting, or high impact sports, may increase the risk of these side effects from fluoroquinolones. It may be safest to focus on low-impact exercises, such as swimming, that aren’t as rough on your tendons.

Most antibiotics are not taken long-term. Be sure to talk with your doctor about how long to wait after finishing your fluoroquinolone treatment before starting any high-intensity exercise routine.

Quick tip: Keep track of your antibiotic dosing schedule on a calendar or your phone, so you don’t miss any doses and know when your treatment should end.

Exercise, on its own, can lower your blood sugar. Insulin and sulfonylurea drugs, such as glipizide, are two diabetes medications with a high risk of causing low blood sugar. This means if you take these medications right before a high-intensity workout, your blood sugar can become dangerously low.

It is best to talk with your doctor about the best exercise routine for you if you take diabetes medications.

Safety tips for exercising on diabetes medications
  • If you use insulin, check your blood sugar before, during, and after a workout.
  • Fuel yourself with a nourishing meal before you exercise.
  • Stay hydrated.
  • Switch up your workouts.
  • Check your feet for cuts or blisters after you workout.

Opioids, such as oxycodone (OxyContin), can affect your central nervous system. This can cause symptoms such as drowsiness, blurred vision, or dizziness. Opioids can also prevent your nerves from telling your brain that you’re in pain.

This can be dangerous during exercise. It could lead to an unnoticed, accidental injury, falling off a treadmill, or dropping a weight.

It may be best to avoid strenuous or heavy exercises while taking opioid medications. Talk with your doctor about what exercise may be safe for you.

Taking prescription medications may impact the type of exercises it is safe for you to do. It is best to always talk with your doctor before starting any new workouts, as they can help recommend the best option for you.

Disclaimer: While Healthline strives for factual, comprehensive, and current information, this article is not a substitute for a licensed healthcare professional’s expertise. Always consult a doctor before taking or discontinuing any medication. Drug information is subject to change and may not cover all uses, directions, precautions, warnings, interactions, reactions, or adverse effects. The lack of a warning does not guarantee a drug’s safety, effectiveness, or appropriateness for all patients or specific uses. Learn more about our approach to content integrity.