WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Many studies have shown that exercise helps lower blood pressure. However, it was in 2021 that scientists conducted a detailed study regarding the link between staying active in your 20s and 30s, and high blood pressure.
The study followed over 5,100 adults for 30 years, who were grouped based on their race and gender. The researchers tracked their health, exercise habits, smoking, and drinking, and measured their blood pressure levels multiple times at regular intervals.
The results showed that physical activity dropped for everyone from age 18 to 40 while the number of people with high blood pressure increased. This pattern indicated that early adulthood is a key time to focus on fitness to avoid problems later on.
'This might be especially the case after high school when opportunities for physical activity diminish as young adults transition to college, the workforce, and parenthood, and leisure time is eroded,' noted lead author Jason Nagata, a UCSF expert in young adult medicine.
People who did about five hours of moderate exercise per week in their early adult years, which is twice the recommended amount, had a much lower risk of developing high blood pressure, especially if they kept exercising into their 60s.
Experts recommended doing a mix of moderate and intense aerobic exercise, including high-intensity interval training, which can help keep the blood pressure in check.
'Achieving at least twice the current minimum adult guidelines may be more beneficial for the prevention of hypertension than simply meeting the minimum guidelines,' the researchers advised.
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