Mat Pilates training and blood pressure reactivity responses to psychological stress: comparison between normotensive and hypertensive postmenopausal women

Abstract

Objectives The aim of this study is to compare resting blood pressure and blood pressure reactivity responses to psychological stress in normotensive and hypertensive postmenopausal women after 12 weeks of Mat Pilates training. Methods Twenty-three hypertensive and 24 normotensive postmenopausal women, performed Mat Pilates training 3× a week for 12 weeks. Before and after the intervention, resting blood pressure, heart rate, and blood pressure reactivity to psychological stress through the electronic version of Stroop test protocol (3 minutes) were measured. We calculated the variation (Δ) of blood pressure (peak of blood pressure during the Stroop stress test minus resting blood pressure before test). Results The two-way ANOVA showed that the Δ of systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and the mean blood pressure was reduced (P < 0.05) after training only in the hypertensive. The resting systolic, diastolic, and mean blood pressures decreased by (P < 0.05) over time in both groups with no interaction or difference. Conclusion Mat Pilates was able to reduce resting blood pressure in both hypertensive and normotensive, and blood pressure reactivity after psychological stress in hypertensive but not in normotensive postmenopausal women.

Comparative effectiveness of 10-week equipment-based pilates and diaphragmatic breathing exercise on heart rate variability and pulmonary function in young adult healthy women with normal BMI – a quasi-experimental study

“…However, using equipment-based Pilates in the current research may be the reason for the change in parameters such as SDSD and TP in addition to LF and SDNN. In another study, pNN50 was found to be high after three days a week and a total of 12 weeks of mat Pilates exercise in postmenopausal women [ 32 ].…”