The Effects of Brief Periods of Exercise on Blood Pressure

Overview

High blood pressure is a common medical condition that affects the body's arteries. It's also called hypertension. Untreated hypertension increases the risk of heart attack, stroke and other serious health problems. Exercise is a promising tool in hypertension management. Regular participation in exercise improves vascular health, heart and lung function, and multisystem health. However, the direct evidence of the treatment effects of a brief period of exercise on blood pressure in individuals with hypertension is limited. A brief period of exercise refers to an exercise protocol that only lasts for a very short period of time, such as 5-10 minutes.

The study will investigate both acute and long-term effects of a brief exercise on blood pressure. For the acute effect, participants will conduct a single bout of resistance exercise (leg press) with or without blood flow restriction technique. The blood pressure changes from pre- to post-exercise will be monitored. The long-term effect of exercise on blood pressure will be examined through a six to eight weeks home-based intervention program. Participants will conduct two forms of exercise, one is a clustered wall-sit exercise and the other is a scattered wall-sit exercise.

Conditions