How to lower blood pressure

We all know that high blood pressure (BP) can be a silent killer. Often diagnosis is by chance from a routine BP check at your GPs. Having high blood pressure doesn't usually give you any symptoms. BP medication can be taken to reduce blood pressure along with lifestyle changes such as stopping smoking, eating a healthy diet and exercising.

In the healthcare industry we practice evidence based medicine. This means that if something is researched to be beneficial as a treatment we use it!

Exercise is well documented to improve our health in many ways. A recent piece of research conducted by the international journal of cardiology has shown a significant improvement in reduction of BP following a mat based Pilates programme.

44 hypertensive (high BP) women who were on medication for BP were distributed into two groups. A training group (TG) and a control group (CG). The TG performed 60 minute mat based Pilates workouts twice per week for 16 weeks. The CG continued daily activities without exercise training. As well as evaluating BP the study also tested body mass, height, BMI (body mass index), waist and hip circumference, flexibility and hand strength.

The results showed a significant improvement in BP readings in the TG. There was no change in the BP readings of the CG. Besides that TG group showed improvements in height, waist and hip circumferences, flexibility and hand strength.

If you want to start making changes to your lifestyle you can start right here with Your Pilates Physio. All of our workouts are mat based. Registering with us will give you full access to all of our workouts to do at a time that suits you. Register here for your 14 day free trial.

The article abstract can be found on the international journal of cardiology website here.