A research study compared three different exercise regimens in their effectiveness in reducing systolic blood pressure in hypertensive women. The 68 study subjects had their baseline blood pressure measured and categorized into either "severe" or "moderate" hypertensive groups (Severity). They were then randomly assigned to one of the exercise groups (Exercise) : yoga, cycling, or kickboxing, and participated in organized gym classes three times per week for two months. At the end of the study, the change in systolic blood pressure (post-study minus baseline) was recorded for each participant.

Yoga?

Explanation:

Hypertensive people suffer from high blood pressure; among the factors that contribute to high blood pressure are obesity, lack of exercise, smoking, stress and an ¨unhealthy¨ diet.

Now if we assume that the gym classes three times per week take care of the factor lack of exercise we can safely say that cycling and kickboxing maybe add a little to this but don't have much effect on other factors. I would say that cycling - if done outdoors - probably contribute (indirectly) to lessen other unhealthy factors a little more than kickboxing does.

The one that stands out though is Yoga because it is mentioned as an effective way to lower your blood pressure level. Furthermore it can be argued convincingly that meditation or yoga has an indirect effect on other unhealthy factors like diet and stress for example.

So I gather that the participants in the yoga group will show a more significant change in blood pressure than their cycling & kickboxing participants.