Q. Can excercise cause high blood pressure?

Hello doctor,

I have been worried about my heart lately, and I was hoping you could answer a question I have regarding diastolic blood pressure. I recently did a test at home measuring my blood pressure before and after exercise using an Omron M3 comfort blood pressure monitor. In each case, I did two minutes of step-ups, walking up and down two steps for that period of time. My blood pressure before exercising was 114/84 mmHg, and my heart rate was 71 beats per minute. Afterward, I was sweating lightly, and my heart was pounding. My blood pressure was 153/94 mmHg, and my heart rate was 88. Two minutes after resting, my blood pressure was 145/108 mmHg, and my heart rate was 88. Two minutes after that, my blood pressure was 136/85 mmHg, and my heart rate was 81 beats per minute. I am worried about the rise in my diastolic blood pressure immediately after exercise, and especially the fact that it seemed to continue to rise before dropping back. I should also say that I have been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder and as a result, I recently had two resting electrocardiography, blood work, a cholesterol test, and a blood sugar test, all of which have come back normal. Many thanks.