Research Reveals Underwater Treadmill Training Can Impact Blood Pressure
Did you know that endurance exercise reduces blood pressure? Of course you did! But we’re not here to tell you something you already knew.
There are an estimated 67 million Americans who suffer from high blood pressure. Many struggle to find ways to improve their condition naturally, especially those that are typically sedentary. Though it may be known that exercise can help lower blood pressure, many are unable or unwilling to exercise on land. Many times land exercise can be painful or difficult for those that are overweight or suffer from comorbidities such as arthritis or chronic pain.
The focus of a recent study, Aquatic Treadmill Training Reduces Blood Pressure Reactivity to Physical Stress is exercise done on an underwater treadmill. This study shows that while all endurance exercise can reduce blood pressure (BP) and the body’s related stress responses, aquatic treadmill training can significantly reduce resting diastolic blood pressure MORE than land-based training.
The study, conducted at Texas A&M University, tracked the response of 60 adults who worked out on either land-based treadmills or in a HydroWorx therapy pool on an underwater treadmill during specific sessions each week. The results from the study were that aquatic treadmill training, but not land treadmill training, significantly reduced resting diastolic BP, exercise systolic BP, diastolic BP, mean arterial pressure and pulse pressure during stages of exercise stress and recovery.
The great news is that not only does underwater treadmill exercise provide a safe, comfortable and less painful form of endurance exercise, it can be even more beneficial than land exercise.
To learn more about the research being done at Texas A&M University, please watch this video:
Download our Research Studies Book for a comprehensive overview of studies that have been done on underwater treadmills.
