Is Exercise Enough For Seniors to Manage Hypertension?

Reports from every source have verified that exercising on a regular basis will bring miraculous benefits in all that can affect a person. Now, there is a report that shows those individuals who are advancing in years still cannot depend on exercise alone when it comes to hypertension.

Mature individuals who keep themselves involved in activities will experience wonderful health effects because of their exercise but data gathered and published in the Archives of Internal Medicine reveals that exercise alone is not going to bring their hypertension under control.

The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland had a group of researchers analyze the consequence of seniors who have mild high blood pressure and are involved in an exercise program that has both resistance training and aerobics.

The data was taken on a group having the upper number (systolic) blood pressure levels of 130 to 159 mm Hg and the lower pressure (diastolic) of 85 to 99 mm Hg in ages ranges between 55 and 75.

In general terms, high blood pressure is considered anything above 140/90. For seniors, the systolic reading or the upper number is determined to be more significant than the lower number or diastolic. The systolic references the pressure the blood exerts when it flows as the heart forces blood out. The diastolic is the pressure inside the blood vessels that happens just before the heart takes another beat.

The study group consisted of 51 senior adults who participated in a rigorous exercise program 3 sessions weekly while 53 senior adults were on a regular eating program and given advise about exercise but no actual scheduled routine.

By the time the study was over, the group who were involved in the regular program for exercising were stronger and had an improved level of fitness. This group also elevated their muscle mass and experienced loss of fat especially in the area associated with a danger of cardiovascular disease.

This group of mature adults had considerably decreased systolic blood pressure levels compared to the other group in the study. They also showed lower diastolic levels than the other group.

The conclusion drawn from this study would indicate that because the blood vessels in seniors is less flexible, the exercising would not have the same results as for younger individuals. This by no means is not a reason to stop an exercise routine.

Whether seniors exercising is as helpful in the lowering of blood pressure as it is in younger individuals, exercising on a regular basis will bring many positive results. Seniors will just need to understand that their exercise efforts may not be enough to lower their higher blood pressure reading.