Blood pressure and exercise

The benefits of exercise are manifold as we all know, while it is also the best way to get your blood pressure down. High blood pressure is believed to affect some 1.28 billion adults, and left untreated it can result in various conditions such as stroke and heart attack. Health organisations recommend 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity such as cycling or jogging a week, but recent studies show that this alone may not be the most effective approach for keeping the blood pressure at normal levels. So what may well be? Isometric exercises such as hand grips and wall sits in which the muscle is tightened in a static position proved to have an even better effect on blood pressure. The effect was even similar to blood pressure medication.

A study dating from 2023 showed that just 12 minutes of these exercises three times a week for three months was sufficient to significantly lower blood pressure. It is believed that the difference is to do with how the blood flow is affected by isometric exercises. Muscles are held in a contracted position for a short time while restricting the blood flow to said muscles. When the muscles are relaxed the vessels open allowing the blood to rush back in. The blood pressure is accordingly lowered for a few hours, and when the exercise is oft repeated the lowered blood pressure is retained. Such a sustained drop in blood pressure is associated with up to a 22 per cent lower risk of a cardiovascular event. So it may well be worthwhile adding one or two isometric moves to your workout routine.