Resistance exercise training and the control of blood pressure in hypertensive humans

The present manuscript is focused on the use of resistance exercises as measure in order to control of blood pressure, and to demonstrate that moderate physical exercise is not a risk factor for health of hypertensive humans. As methodology, bibliographical and documentary analyses were performed with basis on scientific literature. As result, resistance exercises have presented different cardiovascular effects depending on their intensity. Generally, low-intensity exercises have improved localized muscular resistance, and have increased blood pressure values during its execution, but reduced arterial pressure after its accomplishment; in the long term, low-intensity resistance training may promote a small drop in the blood pressure of hypertensives. On the other hand, high intensity resistance exercises, which aim to improve muscle strength / hypertrophy, have promoted an extremely large increase in blood pressure during its execution, with important risks to the rupture of preexisting cerebral aneurysms in hypertensive patients. Also, those exercises have not been presenting a chronic hypertensive effect, despite reducing blood pressure after its completion. Thus, low-intensity resistance training has been indicated for hypertensive patients in addition to aerobic exercises, but high-intensity resistance exercises should be avoided in these patients.