Exercise and hypertension: recent advances in exercise prescription

Despite the pervasiveness of hypertension (HTN), the exercise dose needed to lower blood pressure (BP) remains to be quantified. The purpose of this manuscript is to discuss recent advances in exercise prescription (ExR x) for HTN. The take-home message in ExR x for those with HTN is that the antihypertensive effect is: immediate; elicited by low intensity, short-duration aerobic exercise; one of many health benefits; and individually tailored. With this message and the general rules of ExR x as a guide, those with HTN should exercise on most, preferably all, days of the week, with moderate intensity (40% to <60% of VO2 Reserve), for 30 minutes or more of continuous or accumulated physical activity per day, primarily of the endurance type, supplemented by resistance exercise. Additionally, those who are overweight should progress to a caloric energy expenditure of a minimum of 1000 kcal to more than 2000 kcal per week or more than 2.5 hours per week of moderate-intensity, aerobic exercise.