Hypertension is the most common, costly, and preventable
cardiovascular disease risk factor. Numerous professional organizations and committees recommend exercise as initial lifestyle
therapy to prevent, treat, and control
hypertension. Yet, these recommendations differ in the components of the Frequency, Intensity, Time, and Type (
FITT) principle of exercise prescription (Ex Rx); the evidence upon which they are based is only of fair methodological quality; and the individual studies upon which they are based generally do not include people with
hypertension, which are some of the limitations in this literature. The purposes of this review are to (1) overview the professional exercise recommendations for
hypertension in terms of the
FITT principle of Ex Rx; (2) discuss new and emerging research related to Ex Rx for
hypertension; and (3) present an updated
FITT Ex Rx for adults with
hypertension that integrates the existing recommendations with this new and emerging research.