The effect of a brief walk on blood pressure recovery following an anger-provoking stressor in normotensive individuals

Background: Prolonged blood pressure (BP) recovery from psychological stressors may be associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Rumination has been associated with delayed BP recovery. Identifying and evaluating interventions that limit the duration of cardiovascular responses following a stressor may assist in reducing the overall BP load placed on the cardiovascular system and may promote the maintenance of cardiovascular health.;Methods: Healthy, normotensive men (n =27) and women (n =52) between the ages of 18 and 35 years were randomized to an exercise intervention (walking), a distraction intervention (reading) or a control (quiet sitting) intervention following the anger-recall interview task. BP and impedance measures were taken during the 10 minute baseline period, the five minute anger-recall interview task, the three minute intervention and the 15 minute post-task recovery. Data were also collected on demographic, physiologic, trait anger rumination, state anger, and state rumination measures.;Results: The exercise group had significantly greater systolic and/or diastolic BP at three, six, nine and 15 minute recovery time points than the distraction and/or control groups (all p's ≤ .03). No group differences were observed for state ruminations during recovery (F (2, 76) = 0.65, p =.52) or state anger (F (2, 76) = 0.76, p =.47) following the recovery period. Mean arterial pressure (MAP) was the impedance-generated measure that differed between the groups during recovery. MAP during recovery was significantly greater among participants who exercised than those who read and/or those who sat quietly.;Conclusion: A brief brisk walk following an anger-provoking stressor was not found to improve BP recovery or reduce state ruminations or state anger when compared to distraction or control interventions. Adaptations to the anger, rumination, exercise, arousal conceptual model, study limitations and directions for future research are discussed.;Objectives: The main purpose of the study was to examine the effect of a brief brisk walk on BP recovery following an anger-provoking laboratory stressor. Secondary objectives included a comparison of rumination, anger and hemodynamics underlying BP during post-stressor recovery in the exercise, distraction and control groups.