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Want To Lower Your Blood Pressure? This Type Of Workout Stands Out
Not every workout needs to leave you breathless to benefit your heart. If you're trying to manage high blood pressure, the type of movement you choose may make a difference, too.
Swimming, yoga, and even holding a wall sit might seem like very different ways to exercise, but research suggests each has something to offer.
A review comparing 10 types of exercise explored which were most effective at lowering blood pressure, offering useful clues for building a heart-friendly routine.
About the review
Researchers analyzed 284 randomized controlled trials involving 18,750 adults with elevated blood pressure or hypertension.
Participants had an average age of 56.8, and each trial tested a structured exercise program and measured resting blood pressure. The researchers compared 10 types of exercise and examined how the weekly amount of exercise affected the results.
The workouts that made the biggest difference
Blood pressure readings have two numbers. Systolic blood pressure, the top number, measures pressure in your arteries when your heart beats. Diastolic blood pressure, the bottom number, measures pressure between beats.
Aquatic exercise showed the greatest reduction in systolic blood pressure. Cycling and whole-body vibration training also showed benefits.
For diastolic blood pressure, mind-body exercise came out on top. Activities such as yoga and tai chi combine movement with controlled breathing and focused attention. Aquatic exercise and isometric training also performed well. Isometric exercises involve contracting your muscles without moving your joints, as you would during a wall sit or handgrip hold.
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Does more exercise mean lower blood pressure?
Not necessarily.
The researchers modeled how the weekly amount of exercise related to blood pressure changes and found that the benefits didn't keep increasing indefinitely.
Their analysis identified a weekly amount of isometric exercise associated with the greatest estimated reduction in systolic blood pressure.
For aerobic exercise, a different amount was associated with the greatest estimated reduction in diastolic blood pressure. These estimates aren't a universal prescription.
Your health, fitness level, and starting blood pressure all influence what works best. Encouragingly, all 10 exercise types were associated with some reduction in blood pressure.
Ways to work these exercises into your week
You don't need a complicated routine to get moving. Here are a few ways to put the findings into practice:
- Try a water workout: Swimming or water aerobics showed the greatest benefit for systolic blood pressure.
- Make time for mind-body movement: Yoga and tai chi combine movement with controlled breathing and focused attention.
- Keep it simple at home: Wall sits and handgrip holds are accessible ways to try isometric exercise with minimal equipment.
- Mix up your routine: Combine different activities throughout the week rather than relying on just one type of workout.
- Exercise safely: If you have high blood pressure or another health condition, check with your health care professional before starting a new or intense routine. Exercise can complement prescribed medication and other treatments, but shouldn't replace them.
The key is to choose activities that suit your fitness level and that you can keep doing regularly.
The takeaway
Swimming and mind-body workouts stood out for different blood pressure readings, but you don't have to pick a single winner.
Find movement you enjoy, keep it consistent, and let your heart reap the benefits.
