In a nutshell
This study looked at the effectiveness of mat pilates on reducing blood pressure in women with hypertension who are currently receiving antihypertensive medication. The authors concluded that mat pilates can successfully decrease blood pressure in women with hypertension.
Some background
Patients with hypertension have a higher resting blood pressure than the body needs. The blood pressure needs to be lowered to avoid complications such as heart attacks, strokes and heart failure. One common non-drug treatment for hypertension is exercise training.
Resistance training (where the muscles are exercised using weights, for example) is advised for patients with hypertension. Mat pilates is a form of resistance training. This type of pilates is done on the floor using an exercise mat. It consists of controlled breathing while performing movements using your own body weight for resistance. This helps to build strength.
Methods & findings
The authors examined if mat pilates training could lower blood pressure (BP) in women with hypertension who were receiving antihypertensive medication.
44 women were included in this study. The training group (TG) took part in two 60 minute mat pilates sessions per week for 12 weeks. The control group (CG) maintained their normal daily activities for the 12 week study.
The TG showed significant improvements in systolic blood pressure (pressure when the heart is contracting), diastolic blood pressure (pressure when the heart is between beats) and overall BP compared to pre-study measurements. This decrease was not seen in the CG. The TG also showed improvements in waist and hip circumference, flexibility and height.
The bottom line
This study concluded that mat pilates can successfully decrease systolic, diastolic and overall blood pressure both at rest and wake in women with hypertension. Mat pilates training also lead to improvements in waist and hip circumference, flexibility and height.
The fine print
Only middle-aged women were assessed in this group and so the same result may not be seen in other patients.
What’s next?
Consult with your physician for advice on possible non-drug treatment options for hypertension.
Published By :
International Journal of Cardiology
Date :
Nov 06, 2014
