This makes sense to me. My mother, who is 99 and just had a hip repair with full anaesthetic and is recovering well, is an avid walker and has been for years and years. When she gets stressed her blood pressure can shoot up. She is on blood pressure meds, but she has had no strokes and her heart and lungs are very healthy. Even when in a hotel room she will walk 2000 steps. On the other hand our family is long lived and the women tend to live into their 90s, so there is a genetic component, but she is outliving them all. I think this is due to the regular exercise she gets - and maybe a little stubbornness on her part. :) I am 73 and not as active regularly as she for several reasons though I have walked a lot over the years. I choose a 2 story house to live in so that I have to walk stairs. My BP is good and I am not on bp meds.