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Guided walking is more effective than suggested walking in reducing the blood pressure of hypertensive sedentary subjects and in modifying their lifestyle

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Abstract

Objective

The study has compared the effects of a program of guided walking (GW) and of a program of suggested walking (SW) on the blood pressure and on the lifestyle of sedentary hypertensive subjects.

Methods

Participants were sedentary and had a systolic pressure ≥ 140 mmHg. They were divided in a group of GW (n = 93) and of SW (n = 99). Blood pressure, weight, BMI, waist circumference and walking speed were assessed at enrollment and after 6 months. Sixteen months after the end of the project, the subjects were contacted to check if they were maintaining the walking activity.

Results

During the 6 months, the weekly walking time was 300 min in the GW group and 120 in the SW group. Seventy subjects of the GW group and 88 of the SW group completed the program. Significantly decrease in weight, BMI and waist circumference was observed in both groups. Systolic and diastolic pressure decreased by 7.5 and 1.9 mmHg in the GW group and by 4.1 and 2.1 mmHg in the WS. The decrease in systolic pressure was significantly higher in the subjects of GW group. Sixteen months after the end of the study, 54 subjects of the WG and 30 of the SG declared to maintain a walking habit.

Conclusion

Both programs resulted in significant reductions of systolic and diastolic pressure. The reduction of systolic pressure was significantly higher in the subjects who followed the GW program. The GW program was also more effective than the SW program in modifying the lifestyle of the participants.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Exercise Science and Sport, via Gramicia 35, Ferrara, Italy

    Simona Mandini, Francesco Conconi, Elisa Mori, Giovanni Grazzi & Gianni Mazzoni

  2. Public Health Department, AUSL Ferrara, Italy

    Giovanni Grazzi & Gianni Mazzoni

Authors
  1. Simona Mandini
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  2. Francesco Conconi
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  3. Elisa Mori
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  4. Giovanni Grazzi
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  5. Gianni Mazzoni
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Simona Mandini.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. The study was approved by the The Human Studies Committee of the University of Ferrara (Number 22-13).

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Subjects were enrolled after obtaining an institutionally approved informed consent.

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Mandini, S., Conconi, F., Mori, E. et al. Guided walking is more effective than suggested walking in reducing the blood pressure of hypertensive sedentary subjects and in modifying their lifestyle. Sport Sci Health 16, 375–381 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11332-020-00620-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11332-020-00620-y

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