Exercise can lower blood pressure, but the most effective approaches may surprise you. Check out the latest advice about hypertension exercise.
Surprisingly Effective Hypertension Exercise
When you think about working out to lower your blood pressure, you may picture aerobic exercise to get your heart rate up — lots of folks sweating while a workout instructor cheers them on. Sure, that kind of exercise can do you a world of good, but there are plenty of exercise contenders for effectively lowering blood pressure.
When it comes to high blood pressure, or hypertension, exercises, breath training can be just as effective as medicine, researchers have found. Another interesting finding: numerous forms of aerobic exercise can reduce blood pressure in people with hypertension.
'Inspiring' Inspiratory Training
A type of exercise known as high-resistance inspiratory muscle strength training (IMST) relies on a device that provides resistance as you breathe in and out. The device helps you strengthen the muscles involved in breathing — your diaphragm and chest-expanding muscles.
In a study designed by physiologists at the University of Colorado Boulder and the University of Arizona, volunteers ages 18 to 82 practiced IMST for just five minutes, or 30 breaths, a day for six weeks.
During that time, the volunteers dropped their systolic blood pressure (the upper number on a blood pressure reading) by an average of about 9 mmHg. In fact, researchers began to see changes in volunteers' blood pressure after just two weeks of training. That reduction caused by medication is in the ballpark of the amount you can lower blood pressure with a single hypertension drug.
Hypertension Exercise for Everybody's Body
If you're unable to perform — or not interested in — breathing exercises, never fear. Most moderate-intensity physical activities performed about 30 minutes a day are good for your blood pressure, whether going for a walk with your loved ones or gardening.
When it comes to exercise for hypertension, diversity is your friend. You can cycle, run, walk, swim, perform water aerobics or dance. Research has found that all these forms of regular, moderate-intensity exercise work equally well at lowering blood pressure in people with hypertension, with ballpark reductions in systolic blood pressure of between 8 and 12 mmHg.
A meta-analysis — a study of studies — found all the forms of exercise listed above beneficial. It didn't matter whether participants increased their exercise over time or stayed at the same level throughout the study period. They saw benefits regardless of whether they were already taking blood pressure medication. Intensity also played a key role. The harder participants worked out, the bigger the benefits.
When Exercise Is a Challenge
It can be difficult for some people to get out and exercise. You may be recovering from illness or have mobility issues that prevent you from effectively using large muscle groups. This might be where IMST comes in.
You can perform breathing exercises standing in your living room or even sitting up in bed, and you can do them any time of day or night. And if you're strapped for time, IMST gives you many of the blood pressure-reducing benefits of that half-hour sweat session in just five minutes.
No matter how you exercise, if you know or suspect your blood pressure might be high, it's essential to see a doctor and have conversations about tests, lifestyle changes and medications that might benefit you. Your doctor can also counsel you about what exercises are safest for you.