Effects of Exercise on Blood Pressure Introduction Blood pressure is defined as "The force that blood exerts against the internal walls of blood vessels" (Shier, 2013 , page 582). Blood pressure is monitored using a sphygmomanometer and stethoscope and is a routine test in most medical exams. A sphygmomanometer is basically a cuff, it is wrapped around the upper arm and inflated with air to exert force against the brachial artery and briefly interrupt blood flow. The person performing the test will use a stethoscope to listen to the artery under the cuff and slowly release the air from the cuff. A connected manometer with numerical values ​​representing millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) is used to measure blood pressure. The person taking the test will hear two important beats, the first and the last. The first beat measures systolic blood pressure, or the force exerted on the walls of the blood vessels during the contraction of the ventricle. The last beat is the diastolic pressure, or the force exerted on the walls of the blood vessels while the ventricles are at rest. The importance of blood pressure monitoring cannot be underestimated. Blood pressure monitoring alerts healthcare providers to potential illnesses, abnormal readings can be a sign of left ventricular hypertrophy, congestive heart failure, stroke and many other life-threatening illnesses. The table below shows the normal and abnormal blood pressure ranges for an adult. (Blood Pressure: Questions You Have... Answers You Need, 1997) Systolic Blood Pressure Diastolic Blood Pressure Category (mm Hg) (mm Hg)...... center of paper...... levels. Additionally, exercises performed should be classified as light, moderate, and strenuous, and subjects should be tested before and after performing each level of exercises. The research obtained in this experiment could potentially lead to the development of a standardized test to predict future health problems in participating subjects. This experiment conducted over a period of time and combined with diet monitoring and regulated exercise would produce results that would show the effects regular exercise and weight loss have on blood pressure. Would the effects be the same? Or would regular exercise and weight loss lead to acute increases in blood pressure immediately after exercise and a steady decrease in average blood pressure over time? This experiment was a success, however, the questions raised by the results require further experimentation.