I just had a friend spend a weekend. And, I was reminiscing about the Royal Canadian fitness program I employed to get my pre-teen self in shape. (Oh, the friend was from Toronto- that’s why this came up.) I also recalled using a handgrip exerciser as part of that regimen.
I actually still had it in my possession some two decades later. (I found it perusing one of my desks.) Which I then used on and off for about a year, until it fell apart. Now, I find out that I should be using it again- all the time.
Drs. P. Miller, A. Levy, C. McGowan, N. McCartney, and M. McDonald from McMaster University (yes, also from Toronto) published results of their study, Isometric handgrip training lowers blood pressure and increases heart rate complexity in medicated hypertensive patients, in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports. (No, I have no idea why Canadian researchers would publish in a Scandinavian journal.)
Hypertension is not just high blood pressure; it includes autonomic dysfunction. Both of these conditions are considered amenable to exercise. So Miller et. al. examined if the handgrip exerciser could be used to lower blood pressure. Their test group included 23 folks over 60, with a mean age of 66. All were under treatment for hypertension. But, instead of the standard exerciser, the test subjects (13 of them) used a digital dynamometer, which would measure their grip level and strength. The other ten subjects followed no special protocol. (They were the controls.)
Thrice a week for 8 weeks, the test group used the dynamometer at 30% of their maximum grip for 2 minutes [four contractions], relaxed for four minutes, and then continued the test protocol for another two minutes. Twice a week, these sessions were effected at the university; the third session was performed at home. (There was at least a day of rest between each of the sessions.)
And, the results? The average systolic blood pressure (that’s the higher of the two blood pressure numbers) decreased from 125 mm Hg to 120- which is essentially normal- in the exercise group. The control group? It’s average systolic blood pressure increased slightly from 128 to 130. Moreover, the mean arterial blood pressure [the blood pressure in the body that obtains between heartbeats] decreased from 90 to 87 for those who used the exerciser, while the other group barely increased (93 to 94). The changes in diastolic pressure (the lower number recorded in your blood pressure measurements) were too small to notice.
It is thought that changes in the autonomic nervous system underwent minute changes in pathways. These changes were what affected the heart rate, blood pressure, and blood vessel functions. No, this was not aerobic exercise (like my swimming and biking regimens)- which has clearly been shown to lower blood pressure, but it may be a fantastic adjunct to any exercise regimen.
Wow this sounds like something I could actually get around to doing. And without a big investment too. Thanks for sharing.
I’m buying another set and am going to keep them on my desk to use when I hear annoying news on the radio 🙂
This is fascinating and a real help for those especially who aren’t able to get out and do much exercising.
Amy recently posted..I’m not finished saying good-bye to October yet . . .
I found it absolutely fascinating, Amy- in that an armchair exercise could have such benefits…
Of course, these folks were only mildly hypertensive- and under a drug protocol, but still!
Your Canadian friend would no doubt rave about the aerobic benefits of my winter love – curling!
The Great Gordino recently posted..Why Losing Doesn’t Matter In Curling!
Ah, Gordon, proving that even an old broom sweeps clean!
That’s an interesting study. It’s surprising that a simple exercise like the handgrip can have an impact. I’m going online now to look for one!
Lisa Kanarek recently posted..Discover the Seven Principles for Time Management
I was amazed, too, Lisa. But, I’m not going to look a gift horse in the mouth, either. As I wrote to Amy, I’m adding it to my arsenal, too!
Let me know how your program works out!
I wonder if that is the same idea behind stress balls – those squeezable balls that people can squeeze while stressed. My daughter uses one of those between games in volleyball. Maybe everyone should keep hand grip exercisers at their desk or next to the couch.
I am guessing that if the balls are squeezable, they would provide the same result, Suerae. I don’t think our body knows we are using a hand exerciser or a squeezeball-it recognizes the actions.
Roy, I never thought I was going to be able to say this–Get a grip! Wow, that was exhilarating. Does typing count for finger exercising? Probably not. Thanks for the article.
Ann Mullen recently posted..A New Way to Communicate with Someone in Alzheimer’s World
I don’t think typing will work for you, Ann. Go get the exerciser!
Thank you for dropping in and leaving me such a wonderful compliment!
That’s useful. It could be a simple solution to a very widespread health issue.
MuMuGB recently posted..A Complicated World
One can only hope that this data is duplicated repeatedly, Muriel!
Fantastic post. Thank you for sharing. I must tell my husband. Love your Canadian connections 🙂
Carol Tomany recently posted..Cupboards and Bras…
Flex on, Carol!