Cardiovascular responses to abdominal exercises in females between 35 and 45 years of age.

Cardiovascular responses viz. systolic and diastolic blood pressure and pulse rate were evaluated in 21 females following muscular exercises for abdominal wall strengthening. Trunk curl exercise and leg raising exercise were selected for this purpose. A significant increase in systolic and diastolic blood pressure and pulse rate was observed following these exercises. These raised values returned to pretreatment value 6 min later after supine lying. These changes indicate that the need for strict supervision during sessions, especially for the hypertensive patients.