A new study has found that stretching exercises are better than brisk walking to lower blood pressure in people with or at risk of high blood pressure.
This new finding, published December 18, 2020 in the Journal of Physical Activity and Health, shows that stretching should be part of a comprehensive treatment plan for people with high blood pressure. Walking has always been the preferred prescription for doctors who try to help their patients lower their blood pressure. High blood pressure is one of the main risk factors for cardiovascular disease and one of the most preventable risk factors affecting overall mortality.
"Everyone thinks stretching is just about tightening your muscles," said Phil Chilbeck, a professor of kinesiology at the University of Saskatchewan (USask), and co-author of the study. But when you tighten your muscles, you also tighten all the blood vessels that feed the muscles, including all the arteries. If you reduce atherosclerosis, there will be less resistance to blood flow," he said, noting that resistance to blood flow increases blood pressure.
While previous studies have shown that stretching can reduce blood pressure, University of Saskatchewan research is the first to look at walking against stretching in a face-to-face comparison in the same group of study participants.
Dr. Cheelbeck and his colleagues randomly assigned 40 older men and women (average age 61) in two eight-week study groups: one performed a routine to extend the entire body for 30 minutes a day, five days a week, and the other group went lightly for the same amount of time. All participants had high blood pressure, or high blood pressure in the first stage, at the beginning of the study.
The dilation led to a greater reduction in blood pressure across all three measurement types. However, pedestrians lost more body fat than the waist in the eight-week study. Before and after the study, Cheelbeck and his colleagues measured the participants' blood pressure as they sat and lay down for more than 24 hours using a portable screen.
According to Chilbeck, people who walk to reduce high blood pressure should continue to do so, but also add some stretching sessions.
Their findings do not mean that people should give up some kind of aerobic activity, such as walking, cycling and cross-country skiing, all of which have a positive impact on body fat, cholesterol levels and blood sugar, he said.
While the study protocol adopted a 30-minute stretch at a time, Cheelbeck suspected that the same benefits could be achieved by following a shorter routine that focuses on larger muscle groups in the legs, especially quadriceps and hamstrings. He said that yoga leads to a similar drop in blood pressure.
The advantages of stretching is that it is very easy to integrate into a person's daily routine because it does not require weather monitoring and is easy on the joints, making it a great addition to people with osteoporosis, Cilibeck said. Nor does it require much time commitment, which is another obstacle to exercise for many people.
Source: medicalxpress
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