Key result
Low-impact aerobic exercise lowers systolic BP by ~17 mmHg in hypertensive older women.
Why the study?
Pharmacological therapy for hypertension in the elderly has limitations including side effects, high costs, and dependency risk, whereas low-impact aerobic exercise offers a safe, economical, non-pharmacological option for communities with limited access to tertiary-level health facilities.
Does a 5-week low-impact aerobic exercise program reduce systolic and diastolic blood pressure in elderly females with mild-to-moderate hypertension?
Does a 5-week low-impact aerobic exercise program reduce systolic and diastolic blood pressure in elderly females with mild-to-moderate hypertension?
A 5-week community-based low-impact aerobic exercise program was associated with significant reductions in systolic (17 mmHg) and diastolic (8 mmHg) blood pressure among older women with mild-to-moderate hypertension in a rural Indonesian village, though causal inference is limited by the lack of a control group.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
May support low-impact exercise for BP reduction in older hypertensive women; leaves open causal confirmation in RCTs.
Background: Hypertension in the elderly is a serious global health problem, especially in developing countries like Indonesia, with the risk of fatal complications if not optimally managed. Pharmacological therapy has limitations such as side effects, high costs, and the risk of dependency. Low-impact aerobic exercise offers a safe, economical, and non-pharmacological intervention that is appropriate for the physical capacity of the elderly through gentle rhythmic movements that improve blood circulation efficiency without stressing the joints. Kosgoro Village, Musi Rawas Regency, with its active elderly exercise community but limited access to tertiary-level health facilities, is an ideal location to implement this intervention as a contextual and sustainable primary health care model. Methods: A quantitative study with a one-group pretest-posttest pre-experimental design was conducted on 24 elderly individuals with mild to moderate hypertension (females, 45-75 years old) in Kosgoro Village. A purposive sampling technique was used. The intervention consisted of 30 minutes of low-impact aerobic exercise per session, twice a week, for five weeks. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure measurements were taken before and after the intervention using a validated digital sphygmomanometer. Statistical analysis used a paired-sample t-test with a 5% significance level. Results: Mean systolic blood pressure decreased significantly from 152 mmHg to 135 mmHg, and diastolic blood pressure from 90 mmHg to 82 mmHg (p<0.05). This reduction was clinically and statistically significant. The success of the intervention was supported by active community participation, family support, and assistance from health workers. Psychosocial benefits such as increased social interaction and reduced stress were also observed. Limitations include the design without a control group, the short duration, and uncontrolled variability in participant characteristics. Conclusion: Low-impact aerobic exercise was proven effective in significantly reducing blood pressure in hypertensive elderly people in Kosgoro Village. This intervention is recommended for integration into routine elderly health programs as a promotive-preventive strategy. Further research with quasi-experimental or randomized controlled trial (RCT) designs is needed to strengthen the evidence of causality and increase the generalisability of the results.
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Fitria et al. (2026) studied Mild to moderate hypertension (n=24). Low-impact aerobic exercise vs. Baseline (pre-intervention) was evaluated on Mean systolic blood pressure (mmHg) (MD -17 mmHg, p=<0.05). Low-impact aerobic exercise twice weekly for 5 weeks reduced mean systolic BP from 152 to 135 mmHg (-17 mmHg) and diastolic BP from 90 to 82 mmHg (-8 mmHg; both p<0.05) in hypertensive older women.
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