Ninth International Conference on Health, Wellness & Society

Abstract

This study tested relationships between habitual physical activity and cardiovascular reactivity in a group of 58 younger adults (40 females) enrolled in an Anatomy and Physiology course. Baseline cardiovascular measures (heart rate and blood pressure) were collected during a regularly scheduled laboratory section. Cardiovascular measures were collected again the following week immediately prior to the laboratory exam. For regression analyses, blood pressure and heart rate reactivities were calculated as residualized change between baseline and exam day. Physical activity in the week prior to the exam was assessed through self-report. Exam stress elicited significant increases in state anxiety and in all cardiovascular measures (one-sample t-test, p<.01 for all tests). For the total sample, multiple regression analysis revealed that estimated minutes walking during the previous week significantly predicted smaller increment in heart rate (p<.05). For males only, reported minutes engaged in vigorous physical activity predicted a smaller increase in systolic blood pressure (p<.05). These results suggest that certain types of regular physical activity may reduce effects of daily stressors on cardiovascular reactivity.