Effect of the exercise of walkers performed in public squares with spontaneous or prescribed intensity on post-exercise hypotension

• Main Authors: Taís Feitosa da Silva, Alesandra Araújo de Souza, Fabiano Ferreira de Lima, Jennifer Ariely Sales Suassuna, Henrique Eduardo Paiva Lira do Couto, Gustavo Roque Tenório, Maria Irene de Andrade Gomes Silva, Guilherme Leandebal Bonifácio Dias, Alexandre Sérgio Silva
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Universidade de São Paulo
• Series: Revista de Saúde Pública
• Subjects: Walking; Post-Exercise Hypotension; Hypertension
• Online Access: http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0034-89102017000100257&lng=en&tlng=en

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE To quantify the intensity adopted by walkers in public squares and check the occurrence and magnitude of post-exercise hypotension in the spontaneously adopted intensity and in a prescribed intensity. METHODS In 98 volunteers (38 of them being hypertensive), walkers in public squares of the city of João Pessoa, State of Paraíba, Brazil, we have identified the intensity of a usual training monitored by heart rate and we have investigated the occurrence and magnitude of post-exercise hypotension. Subsequently, participants were instructed to walk with moderate intensity. Blood pressure was measured after rest and during post-exercise recovery. RESULTS Of the total participants, 41% of the hypertensive and 36% of the normotensive individuals walked with light intensity. With the prescription, intensity increased to 55% and 52%, for the hypertensive and normotensive individuals, respectively. In the usual and prescribed intensity, the hypertensive individuals had post-exercise hypotension of -3.7±11.6 mmHg and -4.72±12.8 mmHg, respectively. There was no correlation between post-exercise hypotension and the initial systolic component of the hypertensive individuals (r2 = 0.2; p < 0.002). CONCLUSIONS Walkers in public squares choose light intensity for walking. When they exercise with the prescribed intensity, they increase the intensity, but the magnitude of the PEH is not increase with this guidance.