Draft:Hypertension effects in pregnancy

There have been significant findings on how exercising can help reduce the effects of hypertension just after one bout of exercise. Exercising can help reduce hypertension as well as pre-eclampsia and eclampsia.

The acute physiological responses include an increase in cardiac output (CO) of the individual (increased heart rate and stroke volume). This increase in CO can inadvertently maintain the amount of blood going into the muscles, improving functionality of the muscle later. Exercising can also improve systolic and diastolic blood pressure making it easier for blood to pump to the body. Through regular bouts of physical activity, blood pressure can reduce the incidence of hypertension.

Aerobic exercise has been shown to regulate blood pressure more effectively than resistance training. It is recommended to see the effects of exercising, that a person should aim for 5-7 days/ week of aerobic exercise. This type of exercise should have an intensity of light to moderate, utilizing ~85% of max heart rate (220-age). Aerobic has shown a decrease in SBP by 5-15mmHg, versus resistance training showing a decrease of only 3-5mmHg. Aerobic exercises such as jogging, rowing, dancing, or hiking can decrease SBP the greatest. The decrease in SBP can regulate the effect of hypertension ensuring the baby will not be harmed. Resistance training takes a toll on the cardiovascular system in untrained individuals, leading to a reluctance in prescription of resistance training for hypertensive reduction purposes.