Effect of eight weeks of swimming on cardiovascular health: Reduction of risk factors in middle-aged men with hypertension

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of a swimming training course on cardiovascular risk factors in 50-60 year old men with high blood pressure. For this purpose, 20 hypertensive men aged 54.95±3.18 years, height 174.05±18.5 cm and weight 82.20±5.36 kg were selected in a targeted manner and they were randomly selected. They were placed in two groups of swimming training and control (10 people in each group). The swimming training group participated in an 8-week swimming training program. Aerobic swimming training with an intensity of 70% of the maximum heart rate, three sessions per week and 15 minutes in the first week, which gradually reached 45 minutes in the last week. During this period, the control group did not follow any regular physical activity program and only did their normal daily activities.  Blood pressure, resting heart rate, body weight, cholesterol, triglyceride, LDL and HDL serum levels were evaluated before and after the intervention. Student's t statistical method for dependent and independent groups was also used for intra-group and inter-group comparison of variables, respectively. The results showed that a period of swimming training decreased weight, cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL, resting heart rate and blood pressure, as well as increased HDL in 50-60-year-old men with high blood pressure (P<0.05). Therefore, based on these findings, it is concluded that a course of swimming training improves the profile of blood lipids and blood pressure in elderly men with high blood pressure, and since high blood pressure threatens health and heart attacks, swimming training can improve the health of old and elderly men is beneficial. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of a swimming training course on cardiovascular risk factors in 50-60 year old men with high blood pressure. For this purpose, 20 hypertensive men aged 54.95±3.18 years, height 174.05±18.5 cm and weight 82.20±5.36 kg were selected in a targeted manner and they were randomly selected. They were placed in two groups of swimming training and control (10 people in each group). The swimming training group participated in an 8-week swimming training program. Aerobic swimming training with an intensity of 70% of the maximum heart rate, three sessions per week and 15 minutes in the first week, which gradually reached 45 minutes in the last week. During this period, the control group did not follow any regular physical activity program and only did their normal daily activities. Blood pressure, resting heart rate, body weight, cholesterol, triglyceride, LDL and HDL serum levels were evaluated before and after the intervention. Student's t statistical method for dependent and independent groups was also used for intra-group and inter-group comparison of variables, respectively. The results showed that a period of swimming training decreased weight, cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL, resting heart rate and blood pressure, as well as increased HDL in 50-60-year-old men with high blood pressure (P<0.05).