Exercise and Hypertension

Abstract

Hypertension is a fatal yet preventable risk factor for cardiovascular disease and is responsible for majority of cardiovascular mortality. Hypertension is closely associated with inactive lifestyle. Physical activity and/or exercise are shown to delay development of hypertension. Both aerobic and resistance exercise have been proven to reduce blood pressure (BP) effectively. Since brisk walking is an easy, inexpensive, simple, and effective way of exercise, this type of an aerobic workout can be recommended to society. All professional organizations and government bodies recommend moderate-intensity aerobic exercise for at least 30 min on at least 3 days of the week or resistance exercise on 2-3 days of the week. Exercise sessions can either be continuous for 30 min or be composed of at least 10 min of short exercise duration to a daily total of 30 min. After an exercise session, BP decreases, and this decline continues for up to 24 h; which is called post-exercise hypotension. Overall 5 mmHg decrease in BP with regular exercise may be ensured. With a decrease of 5 mmHg in systolic BP, mortality due to coronary heart disease decreases by 9%, mortality due to stroke decreases by 14% and all-cause mortality decreases by 7%. Regular exercise should therefore be recommended for all individuals including normotensives, prehypertensives, and hypertensives.