High Blood Pressure? Use the Stairs!

In a recent study led by the North American Menopause Society (NAMS), research revealed that the simple act of taking the stairs is a great way to manage the arterial stiffness and high blood pressure that often comes with menopause.

In the study, researchers assigned 41 women to either a stair-climbing program or a non-exercise control group for a period of 12 weeks.  The exercise group met four times a week and climbed 192 steps two to five times over the course of each session.   Over the course of the study, the scientists continually monitored, tested and measured both groups for (1) arterial stiffness, (2) blood pressure and (3) leg strength.

It shouldn’t be a surprise that the non-exercises showed no change, but the stair climbers improved results in all three areas.  “This study demonstrates how simple lifestyle interventions such as stair climbing can be effective in preventing or reducing the negative effects of menopause and age on the vascular system and leg muscles of postmenopausal women with hypertension,” stated JoAnn Pinkerton, MD, Executive Director at NAMS.

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