Pilates lowers blood pressure in hypertensive patients, study finds

Research published in Journal of Human Hypertension revealed that Pilates training programs are safe for hypertensive patients and that these programs can be incorporated as part of rehabilitation.

Research: The effectiveness of the Pilates method in hypertensive patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Image credit: ESB Professional / Shutterstock

background

Hypertension is a major public health concern due to its widespread prevalence. This condition significantly increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and related disability and death. Although medications can effectively treat hypertension, consistent treatment adherence is the main requirement for optimal results.

Available evidence shows that a combination of pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions is highly effective in the management of all risk factors associated with hypertension. In particular, physical exercise is considered to be an excellent intervention to lower blood pressure in hypertensive patients. This intervention effectively lowers blood pressure even in patients with poor responsiveness to antihypertensive drugs.

Among the different types of physical activity, aerobic exercise is considered the main option for managing blood pressure. Additionally, isometric exercise, dynamic resistance exercise, and high-intensity interval training have shown positive effects in hypertensive patients. However, despite having many health benefits, these physical activities are generally associated with low adherence rates.

In this systematic review and meta-analysis, scientists investigated the effectiveness of Pilates training programs in controlling blood pressure in hypertensive patients. They consider Pilates to be an alternative physical exercise option as it can be adapted to different situations such as rehabilitation and fitness.

research design

Scientists searched four electronic databases for randomized clinical trials and controlled studies investigating the effects of Pilates training on blood pressure in people with hypertension.

A total of four randomized clinical trials and seven controlled studies were included in the final analysis. All these studies were published between 2015 and his 2023. Regarding the methodological quality of the selected studies, 1 study was of low quality, 4 studies were of high quality, and 6 studies were of high quality.

The selected studies included a total of 458 participants with decompensated hypertension, arterial hypertension, or normotonia. All participants with arterial hypertension received antihypertensive treatment during Pilates training.

Nine of the 11 selected studies used Pilates-based mats as the research intervention. One used Pilates with equipment and his other used both. In comparative studies, the control group performed aerobic exercise or activities of daily living.

important findings

A significant portion of the selected studies described the positive effects of Pilates training programs on blood pressure control in hypertensive patients. Data from three randomized controlled trials and two controlled studies were included in the meta-analysis.

The results revealed that Pilates was significantly more effective in lowering systolic, diastolic, and mean blood pressure compared to other physical activity interventions employed in the control group.

A meta-analysis of data from four comparative studies showed that Pilates exerts similar blood pressure-lowering effects in hypertensive and normotensive participants. However, these effects were not statistically significant.

Significance of research

A meta-analysis found Pilates to be safe and effective in controlling blood pressure in patients with hypertension. However, it does not necessarily have superior effects compared to other physical exercise interventions.

Most studies included in systematic reviews and meta-analyses highlight the significant positive effects of mat Pilates on blood pressure. This suggests that incorporating exercise that requires isometric muscle strength may help lower blood pressure.

Mat Pilates is a low to medium intensity exercise. In contrast, Pilates with equipment is a high-intensity exercise. Studies using Pilates with equipment did not find a significant blood pressure lowering effect. This indicates that the intensity of Pilates is an important factor to consider when applying this intervention to blood pressure management. In support of this hypothesis, existing literature states that light or moderate aerobic exercise is more effective than high-intensity aerobic exercise in lowering blood pressure.

Although the results of the meta-analysis showed a blood pressure lowering effect of Pilates, overall it was found that Pilates had no better effect than aerobic exercise. Additionally, combining aerobic exercise with Pilates did not demonstrate any additional benefits.

Based on these observations, scientists advise incorporating Pilates as part of a rehabilitation approach to managing blood pressure in hypertensive patients. However, it should be noted that Pilates does not necessarily have better effects than aerobic exercise and does not necessarily help improve compliance with a training program.