Real-Life Communication
You are an exercise physiologist who has been working on a research
project for several months. Your research has focused on blood pressure and
how it is affected by both exercise and weight loss.
Just a few months
ago, your research was published by the American College of Sports Medicine.
Your work had shown that exercise (especially when combined with weight loss)
affects a person's blood pressure, even during stressful situations.
Although
previous research had proven that exercise reduces clinical blood pressure,
your research is still unique. Your work demonstrated that exercise and weight
loss could affect ambulatory blood pressure. Ambulatory blood pressure is
different from clinical blood pressure because testing is done outside of
the clinic. Clinical blood pressure is when a patient's blood pressure
is taken within a clinic.
Ambulatory blood pressure monitors patients'
blood pressure over a predetermined length of time (typically 24 hours) as
patients follow their regular daily routines. When blood pressure is measured
in a clinic, it doesn't always represent typical everyday pressures patients
may face.
Several people within the health profession are interested
in hearing more about your research. You've spoken at several conferences
and numerous universities about your findings. A friend of yours, who is a
teacher, has asked you to speak to one of her junior high classes about your
work. You agree to do so because you think it's important that young
students also understand the benefit of exercise.
You begin looking
through your research notes so you can prepare an interesting presentation.
These
are some of the notes you found that were specific to your study:
- There were 133 participants in the six-month study.
- Participants in the study were at least 29 years old.
- All participants were sedentary.
- All participants were overweight.
- Participants were divided into three groups: those who participated in
a supervised exercise program, those who participated in a weight management
program who also exercised, and those who did neither.
- Participants were asked to monitor their blood pressure (they were fitted
with a monitor).
- They also needed to keep a diary that indicated time, posture, location,
mood, activity and their consumption of alcohol and caffeine when they monitored
their blood pressure.
And here is what you found through your research:
- An improvement in aerobic fitness was evident in both the exercise group
and the weight management and exercise group.
- After the six-month study, noticeable differences in blood pressure levels
were evident.
- The exercise group had lower blood pressure levels than when the study
started.
- The weight loss and exercise group combined had even lower blood pressure
levels.
- Exercise will help lower blood pressure, but exercise and weight loss
will lower blood pressure levels even further.
You decide to write out your findings as well. This way, the students
can take a handout home to read.
In your own words, use the points from
above and write out a brief description of the study and the results.