Walking program for elderly women with high blood pressure

INTERVENTION: Behavioural E02.760.169.063.500.387 Walking group: 20 elderly hypertensive participants will perform 30 minutes of walking in an outdoor environment at self‐selected intensity and pace three times a week for eight weeks. Control group: 20 hypertensive elderly participants will receive standard physical activity recommendations through lectures, and physical stretching classes every two weeks for eight weeks CONDITION: C14.907.489 Hypertension ; C14.907.489 PRIMARY OUTCOME: Reduction of the 24‐hour ambulatory systolic blood pressure levels after 8 weeks of walking, verified through ambulatory blood pressure monitoring, shown as a decrease of at least 5 mmHg between the pre‐ and post‐intervention measurements SECONDARY OUTCOME: Improvement in endothelial function after 8 weeks of walking, verified through flowmediated vasodilation, shown as a statistically significant variation (p<0.05) between the pre‐ and postintervention measurements ; Improvement in heart rate variability after 8 weeks of walking, verified through R‐R intervals, shown as a statistically significant variation (p<0.05) between the pre‐ and postintervention measurements ; Improvement of cardiorespiratory fitness after 8 weeks of walking, verified through maximal incremental exercise test, shown as a statistically significant variation (p <0.05) between the pre‐ and postintervention measurements ; Reduction of the 24‐hour ambulatory diastolic blood pressure levels after 8 weeks of walking, verified through ambulatory blood pressure monitoring, shown as a statistically significant variation (p<0.05) between the pre‐ and postintervention measurements INCLUSION CRITERIA: Age between 60 and 75 years; women; body mass index lower than 35 kg/m2; physically inactive; previous diagnosis of hypertension; absence of any other cardiometabolic disorder or disease; no severe musculoskeletal problem that limits walking practice; signed consent form; medical clearing after physical exercise test