What’s the best exercise for lowering blood pressure?
Aerobic exercise is the primary recommended form of exercise for hypertension, due to the vast amount of past research showing its reduction benefits for both systolic and diastolic blood pressure.
For example, one study analysed the lowering effect of aerobic activity in 27 randomised control studies, on individuals with hypertension. It showed that regular medium-to-high-intensity aerobic activity reduced blood pressure by a mean of 11/5 mmHg.7
However, more recent data is showing that other forms of activity are also, if not more, beneficial.
A 2023 systematic review showed:
- aerobic exercise,
- dynamic resistance training,
- combined training,
- high-intensity interval training
- and isometric exercise training (exercises where your muscles are contracted whilst held in one position), were all significantly effective in reducing resting systolic and diastolic blood pressure.
Overall, isometric exercise training was found to be the most effective, followed by combined training (aerobic and resistance), resistance training, aerobic exercise, and HIIT.
Interestingly, walking was less effective than cycling or running, but the most effective form of exercise was wall sits.8
However, it’s important to remember that this doesn’t automatically disregard the current guidelines and the use of aerobic activity for blood pressure reduction, as there is still less data on these other forms of activity, and all studies have their limitations.9
If you already have a preferred exercise or routine that you enjoy, stick to this, as consistency is always most effective. If you are new to exercise or have low fitness levels, make sure to start slow, listen to your body, and build up gradually from there.