The Post-Exercise Blood Pressure Response to Water Aerobic Exercise

Persons with hypertension are often physically inactive and their condition may be further exacerbated by being overweight or obese, or by other musculo-skeletal abnormalities. This population may find it difficult to adhere to a regular exercise programme in the gymnasium, particularly in the beginning of a training programme. It is known that an acute aerobic exercise session leads to a significant post-exercise drop in blood pressure (BP) - a phenomenon termed post-exercise hypotension (PEH) - which is highly beneficial for hypertensive individuals. However, previous studies were limited to the effects of land-based aerobic exercise of different modes, intensities and durations on BP. PUSPOSE: To determine if an acute bout of water aerobic exercise has similar effects on BP than regular aerobic exercise in hypertensive individuals. METHODS: Twenty-one men and women (33 to 69 years) with stage I and II hypertension volunteered to participate in this crossover experimental study. Three sessions were performed by each participant, namely the control session (passive rest), the land exercise and the water exercise. After each session participants underwent 24-hour BP monitoring. RESULTS: Systolic BP decreased significantly by 14.4 mmHg after land exercise and lasted for 24 hours post-exercise, while the decrease after water exercise was 12.9 mmHg and lasted for 9 hours post-exercise. The change was only 4.7 mmHg after the control session. Similar trends were evident for diastolic BP. CONCLUSION: The magnitude of the PEH response was similar after land and water aerobic exercise, but the duration of the hypotensive effect was longer after land exercise. This is the first study to show that water aerobics has similar BP lowering effects than regular aerobic exercise on land, implying that water aerobics is a valid alternative mode of exercise in hypertensive individuals.