The benefits of swimming for your blood pressure

First, let's take a look at the scientific background to swimming and reduced blood pressure. Sports experts have widely revealed the cardiovascular benefits of well-developed muscles. As muscles grow and become stronger, the heart must pump more blood to them. To do this the heart muscle grows stronger and so it sends out a larger volume of blood when demanded. Remember that swimming is an excellent way to develop a wide range of body muscles. In tandem, the body’s vascular system adjusts to the larger volume of blood by dilating more with the beats and contracting less in the rests between beats. And so blood pressure is effectively reduced.

Research that reveals swimming good for lowering blood pressure

Medical researchers in America have found that swimming for exercise can be as effective as some blood pressure medicines at lowering blood pressure. A study detailed in the Journal of Hypertension gave account of 10-week trial of people with mild hypertension. While six of the 18 participants didn't exercise, 12 swam for 45 minutes each day. By the end of the trial the pulse – and therefore the heart rate – had decreased on average from 81 to 71 beats per minute among the swimmers. And their average systolic blood pressure dropped of 11mmHg. The non-exercisers saw no change to their pulse rate or blood pressure. Another study in Taiwan saw seven adults with mild hypertension and 16 with normal blood pressure. Both groups swam daily and by the end of the trial The hypertensive group's systolic blood pressure dropped an average of 17mmHg. The normal blood pressure group had a slight increase. (This is actually normal as people normal blood pressure have less to correct in their vascular system, so diet and exercise have less blood pressure effects). So swimming is god for building strong muscles, burning calories and lowering your blood pressure.