United States Sports Academy
America's Sports University^®

It is well documented that participating in physical activity or exercise is associated with health and fitness benefits that may be physiological, metabolic, or psychological and furthermore prevents the development of chronic diseases and mature mortality (ACSM, 2006). Prior to 1992, 40 studies had been published of blood pressure effects of endurance training by essential hypertension patients. In that research, for up to 72% of the study samples, training was shown to lower systolic blood pressure at 11 mm Hg from the initial 153 mm Hg, while diastolic blood pressure was reduced at 9 mm Hg from initial 99 mm Hg. These reductions, again, were a result of hypertensive participants taking part in endurance exercise training (ACSM, 1993). Findings from these hypertension studies suggest that endurance exercise training that was measured in a laboratory or clinical setting can lower blood pressure in patients who experience mild blood pressure elevation. However, moderate intensity endurance activities (those at 40–60% of maximum work capacity) appear to be more effective for lowering blood pressure than is exercise training at higher intensity (ACSM, 1993).