Running a marathon or deadlifting 350 pounds is great but may not be necessary. New research suggests that adding even small amounts of physical activity, like walking uphill or climbing stairs, can help lower blood pressure.
The study, published in Circulation and conducted by the ProPASS Consortium, found that just five minutes of daily exercise could reduce blood pressure. Replacing sitting time with 20-27 minutes of activity, such as walking, running, or cycling, could lead to a significant drop in blood pressure.
Professor Emmanuel Stamatakis from the ProPASS Consortium said that just a few minutes of extra activity can have a powerful impact on managing blood pressure, making it an accessible option for many people.
“The finding that doing as little as five extra minutes of exercise per day could be associated with measurably lower blood pressure readings emphasises how powerful short bouts of higher intensity movement could be for blood pressure management,” Stamatakis said in a news release.
High blood pressure, a major cause of serious health issues worldwide, affects over a billion people and often goes unnoticed. Researchers analyzed data from over 14,000 people, using activity monitors to study the effects of different types of movement on blood pressure.
They found that switching from sitting to exercise could reduce the risk of heart disease by up to 28% across populations.
Dr. Jo Blodgett, a co-author of the study, emphasized that exercise, even in small amounts, can be very effective for lowering blood pressure and can easily be part of daily routines.
“The good news is that whatever your physical ability, it doesn’t take long to have a positive effect on blood pressure. What’s unique about our exercise variable is that it includes all exercise-like activities, from running for a bus or a short cycling errand, many of which can be integrated into daily routines," Blodgett said.
“For those who don’t do a lot of exercise, walking did still have some positive benefits for blood pressure. But if you want to change your blood pressure, putting more demand on the cardiovascular system through exercise will have the greatest effect.”