Nearly half of American adults have high blood pressure, a condition that raises the risk of heart attack and stroke. Of those, only 25% have their high blood pressure under control.
High blood pressure can be caused by a range of factors, but doctors often encourage patients to make some lifestyle tweaks, including being more physically active. Turns out, exercising for just a few extra minutes each day can help lower blood pressure.
A new study published in the journal Circulation analyzed health data from nearly 15,000 people who wore activity trackers to find a link between daily movement and blood pressure. The researchers discovered that replacing a less active behavior, like sitting or standing, with five minutes of exercise could lower systolic blood pressure (the force of blood flow when blood is pumped out of the heart) by 0.68 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure (the pressure in your arteries when your heart is resting between beats) by 0.54 mmHg.
The researchers also found that people who added up to 20 additional minutes of exercise a day to their routine could reduce their cardiovascular disease risk by up to 10%.
So why might only a few minutes of exercise lower your blood pressure and which exercises are best? We sought out a researcher and four cardiologists for more information.
How does just a few minutes of exercise lower blood pressure?
Exercise is an important lifestyle change that doctors often recommend to help control blood pressure for people with hypertension, Dr. Jim Liu, a cardiologist at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, tells Yahoo Life. “The recommended amount is either 90 minutes of high-intensity physical activity or 150 minutes of moderate activity per week, but this can be difficult to achieve for a lot of people,” he says. “If even doing a few minutes of exercise a day can make a meaningful difference for blood pressure, this could be impactful for lots of people with hypertension.”
The study’s findings show that every bit of activity counts, Dr. Thomas Boyden, Corewell Health medical director for preventive cardiology and cardiac rehabilitation in Michigan, tells Yahoo Life. “Any amount of exercise or physical activity that increases heart rate and breathing rate has been shown to have very positive physiologic effects, including lowering stress hormones, improving blood pressure, reducing blood sugar and triglycerides and overall reducing the risk of cardiovascular events such as heart attack, atrial fibrillation, heart failure and stroke,” he says.
Dr. Cheng-Han Chen, an interventional cardiologist in Laguna Hills, Calif., tells Yahoo Life that the findings are encouraging because most people can add at least a few minutes of exercise into their schedule. “Many people don’t realize the health benefits of adding a little exercise to their daily routine,” he says.
Even short bursts of exercise can trigger a response in your body, Dr. Dor Lotan, a cardiologist at New York-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center, tells Yahoo Life. “Exercise promotes vasodilation, improving blood flow and decreasing the resistance within blood vessels,” he says. “This adaptation gradually reduces blood pressure over time.”
Brief exercise also stimulates the inner lining of the blood vessels, making them more responsive to changes in blood flow and enhancing the vessels’ ability to regulate blood pressure, Lotan explains.
Exercise makes the heart more efficient, Mark Hamer, a senior author of the study and a researcher in epidemiology and public health at University College London, tells Yahoo Life. “If you stimulate these pathways with exercise on a regular basis — every day — ultimately, this will lead to optimal blood pressure over the long term,” he says.
While people will see changes in their blood pressure in just five minutes, Hamer says that you’ll see the “steepest gains” in lowering blood pressure with up to 20 or 30 minutes of exercise. After that, the impact is less significant. “In most cases, the blood pressure reductions start to level off with more and more exercise,” he says.
What types of exercise are best?
This particular study focused on swapping out sedentary behaviors for more activity, like walking, running, cycling and stair climbing. However, doctors say that adding more movement to your day in general can help. That includes brisk walking, biking when running errands and using the stairs instead of the elevator.
If you want to exercise for longer periods of time, Chen suggests focusing on aerobic activities like walking or jogging, bicycling and swimming. “It is also helpful to incorporate some strength training, as this also helps to improve the function of blood vessels and improve blood pressure,” he says.
Chen offers this caveat, however: “Patients who do not have their blood pressure under control should avoid very high intensity exercises, such as sprinting or heavy weights, as these activities can lead to a spike in blood pressure.”
What to do if you have high blood pressure
If you’ve been told that you have high blood pressure, Lotan says it’s important to consult with a health care provider for a tailored treatment plan. “High blood pressure is a complex condition influenced by multiple factors, including genetics, diet, physical activity and stress levels,” he says. “Regular check-ins with a physician are essential to monitor progress and adjust treatment plans, as well as to receive support with lifestyle changes.”
Your doctor may suggest adjusting your diet, trying to fit more activity into your day, treating any other underlying conditions you might have and taking medication, Liu says. “It’s important to work together with your health care provider,” he says.
Doctors are saying that, overall, the latest findings are a plus for patients. “When people feel that a goal is within reach, they’re more likely to incorporate it into their routine and stick with it over the long term,” Lotan says.
