Resistance exercise comparable to blood pressure medication
The American Heart Association recently claimed that over 74.5 million U.S. adults have been diagnosed with high blood pressure, also known as hypertension, a physical condition that can lead to heart attack, stroke, kidney failure and arterial aneurisms, among other medical complications. Patients with hypertension have often been advised by doctors to participate in aerobic exercise to lower blood pressure. However, new data published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research show that strength training is comparable to aerobic exercise, if not better. Authors conclude that the results of the study show that strength training may even be more effective than some forms of prescription drug therapy.
A study conducted by researchers from the Appalachian State University College of Health Sciences concludes that resistance training can lower blood pressure just as effectively as aerobic exercise, if not better. The research shows that strength training decreased blood pressure by 20 percent for a short duration after workout; this benefit lasted for about 30 minutes after the exercise session ended. When subjects trained regularly (defined as 45 minutes, three or more times a week), the lowered blood pressure lasted up to 24 hours after the exercise session had ended. The researchers explain that resistance exercise works to increase blood flow, which lowers blood pressure temporarily, and as such, that resistance exercise was comparable to certain types of medication, only better, because exercise does not come with any side effects.
Collier, et al. (2010). Changes in arterial distensibility and flow-mediated dilation after acute resistance vs. aerobic exercise. Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 24(10):2846-2852
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