Therapeutic exercise for hypertension: An update for exercise prescribers

Abstract

Hypertension (HTN) remains the most common noncommunicable disease that constitutes the greatest public health problem worldwide, with the management involving pharmacological and nonpharmacological means. Therapeutic exercise is an important first-line intervention for a number of chronic diseases and has been recommended both as a measure for prevention and as an adjunctive nonpharmacological intervention for HTN, however; exercise prescription to hypertensive patients is still low, especially among primary healthcare professionals. This study examined from evidence-based literature the various aspects of therapeutic exercise and HTN to successfully stimulate the integration of exercise for HTN management in clinical settings, especially at the primary healthcare level. The paper reviewed published articles on exercise and HTN on Google Scholar, PubMed, and ScienceDirect using search terms “exercise” and “hypertension.” Studies identified in this review were summarized to further enrich literature with data and provide an update to exercise prescribers on exercise and HTN. This study revealed and identified three key aspects that need to be strengthened for successful integration of exercise for HTN management in all clinical settings: adequate and routine pre-exercise screening and monitoring; well-informed prescription of therapeutic exercise by qualified exercise professionals; and sufficient knowledge about potential interaction between exercise and antihypertensive medications.