Home-based isometric exercise training induced reductions resting blood pressure.

PURPOSE: Isometric exercise training (IET) reduces resting blood pressure (BP). Most previous protocols impose exercise barriers which undermine its effectiveness as a potential physical therapy for altering BP. An inexpensive, home-based programme would promote IET as a valuable tool in the fight against hypertension. The aims of this study were: (a) to investigate whether home-based wall squat training could successfully reduce resting BP and (b) to explore the physiological variables that might mediate a change in resting BP.

METHODS: Twenty-eight healthy normotensive males were randomly assigned to a control and a 4 week home-based IET intervention using a crossover design with a 4 week 'washout' period in-between. Wall squat training was completed 3 × weekly over 4 weeks with 48 h between sessions. Each session comprised 4 × 2 min bouts of wall squat exercise performed at a participant-specific knee joint angle relative to a target HR of 95% HRpeak , with 2 min rest between bouts. Resting heart rate, BP, cardiac output, total peripheral resistance, and stroke volume were taken at baseline and post each condition.

RESULTS: Resting BP (systolic -4 ± 5, diastolic -3 ± 3 and mean arterial -3 ± 3 mmHg), cardiac output (-0.54 ± 0.66 L min-1 ) and heart rate (-5 ± 7 beats min-1 ) were all reduced following IET, with no change in total peripheral resistance or stroke volume compared to the control.

CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that the wall squat provides an effective method for reducing resting BP in the home resulting primarily from a reduction in resting heart rate.