Increasing daily walking lowers blood pressure in postmenopausal women

Abstract

MOREAU, K. L., R. DEGARMO, J. LANGLEY, C. MCMAHON, E. T. HOWLEY, D. R. BASSETT, JR., and D. L. THOMPSON. Increasing daily walking lowers blood pressure in postmenopausal women. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc., Vol. 33, No. 11, 2001, pp. 1825–1831. The American College of Sports Medicine and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (ACSM-CDC) recommend 30 min of daily moderate-intensity physical activity for health; however, the effectiveness of this recommendation in lowering blood pressure (BP) in hypertensives is unclear. The present study tested the hypothesis that walking activity following the ACSM-CDC physical activity recommendation would lower BP in postmenopausal women with high BP. Resting BP was measured in 24 postmenopausal women with borderline to stage 1 hypertension at baseline, 12 wk, and 24 wk. Fifteen women in the exercise (EX) group walked 3 km·d−1 above their daily lifestyle walking, whereas 9 women in the control (CON) group did not change their activity. Walking activity was self-measured with a pedometer in both groups. Resting systolic BP was reduced in the EX group after 12 wk by 6 mm Hg (P P In conclusion, a 24-wk walking program meeting the ACSM-CDC physical activity recommendation is effective in lowering systolic BP in postmenopausal women with borderline to stage 1 hypertension.