LONDON, July 31 — Physical activity and sport are strongly recommended to reduce blood pressure, but some exercises are more effective than others in achieving this quickly. So suggest recent findings from a team of British researchers, who explain that isometric exercises, such as planks and wall sits, are particularly likely to prevent high blood pressure.
“Regular physical activity is one of the first treatments recommended to lower blood pressure and improve cardiovascular health, among both the general population and those people with hypertension,” explains the World Health Organisation (WHO). It goes on to state that at least 150 minutes a week of “moderate intensity aerobic physical activity” — or at least 75 minutes of “vigorous intensity aerobic physical activity” — are needed to prevent hypertension in adults aged 18 to 64. Meanwhile, “muscle-strengthening activities, involving major muscle groups” should be done at least twice a week. In other words, cardio, or aerobic exercise, is essential for lowering blood pressure.
A team of British researchers from Canterbury Christ Church University and the University of Leicester have further explored the matter, offering an analysis of available data from clinical trials. Published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine (BJSM), their work takes into account new forms of physical activity such as High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) or static isometric exercises, which involve working muscles without moving. And their findings are surprising, given that it is precisely isometric exercises, such as planks or wall sits, that appear to be the most effective in lowering blood pressure.
Planks and wall sits
The researchers gathered together 270 clinical trials demonstrating the impact of physical training lasting at least two weeks on resting blood pressure, published between 1990 and 2023 and including almost 16,000 participants. The study had a particular focus on aerobic exercise, dynamic resistance training such as squats or push-ups, HIIT, and isometric exercises. The verdict is clear: all categories of exercise significantly reduced systolic and diastolic blood pressure, but the greatest reductions were observed after isometric exercise.
In detail, isometric exercises, such as planks or wall sits, for example, reduced blood pressure by 8.24 and 4 millimeters of mercury (mmHg), compared with 4.49 and 2.53 mmHg for aerobic exercises. The researchers point out that secondary analyses place wall squats, a type of isometric exercise, and running, an aerobic exercise, at the top of the list of individual workouts most effective in reducing systolic (90.5 per cent) and diastolic (91 per cent) blood pressure.
“Overall, isometric exercise training is the most effective mode in reducing both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. These findings provide a comprehensive data-driven framework to support the development of new exercise guideline recommendations for the prevention and treatment of arterial hypertension,” the scientists conclude. The WHO estimates that 1.28 billion people between the ages of 30 and 79 suffer from hypertension worldwide, and that 46 per cent of adults are unaware of their condition. In addition to physical activity, eating a healthy, low-salt diet, with plenty of fruit and vegetables, and quitting smoking, are all important factors in preventing hypertension. — ETX Studio
