Exercise is an effective intervention for treating hypertension and arterial stiffness, but little is known about which exercise modality is the most effective in reducing arterial stiffness and blood pressure in hypertensive subjects. Our purpose was to evaluate the effect of continuous vs. interval exercise training on arterial stiffness and blood pressure in hypertensive patients. Sixty-five patients with hypertension were randomized to 16 weeks of continuous exercise training (n¼26), interval training (n¼26) or a sedentary routine (n¼13). The training was conducted in two 40-min sessions a week. Assessment of arterial stiffness by carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV) measurement and 24-h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) were performed before and after the 16 weeks of training. At the end of the study, ABPM blood pressure had declined significantly only in the subjects with higher basal values and was independent of training modality. PWV had declined significantly only after interval training from 9.44 ± 0.91 to 8.90 ± 0.96 m s À1 , P¼0.009 (continuous from 10.15 ± 1.66 to 9.98 ± 1.81 m s À1 , P¼ns; control from 10.23 ± 1.82 to 10.53 ± 1.97 m s À1 , P¼ns). Continuous and interval exercise training were beneficial for blood pressure control, but only interval training reduced arterial stiffness in treated hypertensive subjects.

Background: Conventional cardiac rehabilitation program consist of 15 min of warmup, 30 min of aerobic exercise and followed by 15 min calisthenics exercise. The Pilates method has been increasingly applied for its therapeutic benefits, however little scientific evidence supports or rebukes its use as a treatment in patients with heart failure (HF). Purpose: Investigate the effects of Pilates on exercise capacity variables in HF. Methods: Sixteen pts with HF, left ventricular ejection fraction 27 ± 14%, NYHA class I-II were randomly assigned to conventional cardiac rehabilitation program (n = 8) or mat Pilates training (n = 8) for 16 weeks of 30 min of aerobic exercise followed by 20 min of the specific program. Results: At 16 weeks, pts in the mat Pilates group and conventional group showed significantly increase on exercise time 11.9 ± 2.5 to 17.8 ± 4 and 11.7 ± 3.9 to 14.2 ± 4 min, respectively. However, only the Pilates group increased significantly the ventilation (from 56 ± 20 to 69 ± 17 L/min, P = 0.02), peak VO 2 (from 20.9 ± 6 to 24.8 ± 6 mL/kg/min, P = 0.01), and O 2 pulse (from 11.9 ± 2 to 13.8 ± 3 mL/bpm, P = 0.003). The Pilates group showed significantly increase in peak VO 2 when compared with conventional group (24.8 ± 6 vs. 18.3 ± 4, P = 0.02). Conclusions: The result suggests that the Pilates method may be a beneficial adjunctive treatment that enhances functional capacity in patients with HF who are already receiving standard medical therapy. BackgroundHeart failure (HF) is considered to be the last stage of heart diseases and a worldwide cause of mortality and morbidity [1,2]. It is characterized by a persistent overactivity of the neurohormonal system [3], endothelial dysfunction [4], exercise intolerance [5,6], high mortality [7], and a poor quality of life [8].Exercise training has been recommended as an important tool in HF treatment. It improves exercise capacity [9], quality of life [10], besides reducing endothelial dysfunction [11], catecholamine levels [12], and morbity [13].Pilates is a particular exercise approach that was founded on the teachings of Joseph Pilates (1880Pilates ( -1967 and was initially practiced almost exclusively by athletes and dancers. Pilates has become a fast-growing, popular trend in rehabilitation and fitness programs in recent years. The goal of Pilates training is improvement of general body flexibility and health, emphasizing core (truncal) strength, posture, and coordination of breathing with movement. Anecdotal evidence suggests that as the Pilates method increases core strength, the natural flexibility of the spine and limbs returns [14,15,16].Despite this promising method, there is little scientific research on the effectiveness of Pilates. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of Pilates on exercise capacity variables in HF patients. Methods Study PopulationA total of 26 outpatients with HF were recruited from a tertiary cardiology hospital with the following criteria: clinical and optimized farmacological treatment (for at least 3...

After heart transplantation patients improve their quality of life. However, they frequently have clinical problems in the post operative period, as physical deconditioning, muscular atrophy, weakness and lower maximal aerobic capacity, in part due to the inactivity in the preoperative period and to factors as the difference in donor/receptor body surface, heart denervation, among others. Regular physical activity plays an important role in heart transplanted patients follow-up and should be recommended as soon as possible, may be in predischarge phase, going on after discharge, which could help patients to have a satisfactory life-style, similar to what they had before the disease, returning to active and productive life.