The Workout That Lowers Blood Pressure: Aerobic, Strength, and the Surprising Power of Holding Still
If I have high blood pressure, which kinds of exercise help lower it most, how hard and how long should I train, and who needs to take extra precautions before starting?
You will know which exercise types lowered resting blood pressure in trials, how strong each signal is, and which checks to get before choosing your mix and intensity.
Quick answer
Every studied form of exercise lowers resting blood pressure. Static holds such as wall squats show the largest average drop, but on a thinner evidence base than aerobic training. The right mix starts with a clinical risk check and is judged by resting trends over weeks.
This guide answers
- Every studied form of exercise lowers resting blood pressure. Static holds such as wall squats show the largest average drop, but on a thinner evidence base than aerobic training. The right mix starts with a clinical risk check and is judged by resting trends over weeks.
References
- American Heart Association — Getting active to control high blood pressure — heart.org
- CDC — High blood pressure: Prevention — cdc.gov
- NHLBI — High blood pressure: Treatment — nhlbi.nih.gov
- health.gov — Physical activity guidelines: Current guidelines — health.gov
- Beetroot juice supplementation enhances the effects of blood flow restriction training on lower limb strength and vertical jump performance under fatigue in male university students: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. — Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition
- Gut microbiota and hypertension: role of exercise training. — Clinical and experimental hypertension (New York, N.Y. : 1993)
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