• New research shows that adding a few minutes of vigorous physical activity “every day” to your daily exercise routine could help control your blood pressure.
• Heart-pumping activities such as cycling, running and stair climbing were linked to lower blood pressure among study participants.
• An additional 5 minutes of exercise resulted in slight improvements in blood pressure, with clinically significant results at an additional 10 and 20 minutes. of physical activity.
• Experts recommend aiming for 30 minutes of aerobic exercise daily to control blood pressure and maintain a healthy heart.

Exercise is universally linked to positive outcomes, such as maintaining healthy blood pressure.

Short bursts of physical activity can get your heart pumping, but regular exercise is essential for overall health.

A new study published Nov. 6 in the journal Circulation suggest adding a few minutes of vigorous physical activity to your daily exercise routine can help lower your blood pressure.

Researchers found that 5 extra minutes of stair climbing, cycling and running were linked to slight reductions in systolic and diastolic blood pressurewhile clinically significant improvements were seen with 10 and 20 additional minutes of daily exercise.

Less vigorous forms of exercise, such as standing or walking, had minimal effects on blood pressure.

“Our findings suggest that for most people, exercise is essential for lowering blood pressure,” first author Jo Blodgett, Ph.Da senior researcher at UCL Surgery & Interventional Science and the Institute of Sport, Exercise & Health, said in a statement.

“The good news is that regardless of your fitness level, it doesn’t take long to have a positive effect on your blood pressure. But if you want to change your blood pressure, putting more demand on your cardiovascular system through exercise will have the greatest effect,” Blodgett continued.

The research team analyzed health data and blood pressure measurements from 14,761 participants with a mean age of 54 years from six cohorts in the Prospective Physical Activity, Sitting and Sleep (ProPASS) consortium.

They followed changes in blood pressure over 24-hour periods comprising six different activities with the following average durations:

1. slept – 7.1 hours
2. sedentary behavior (ie sitting) – 10.7 hours
3. slow walking (less than 100 steps per minute) — 1.6 hours
4. brisk walking (more than 100 steps per minute) — 1.1 hours
5. standing — 3.2 hours
6. exercise (ie running, cycling) – 16 minutes

They estimated the impact of replacing one type of activity with an additional 5, 10 and 20 minutes of exercise.

They note that a 2 mmHg reduction in SBP and a 1 mmHg reduction in BP equates to a 10% reduction in heart disease risk.

They also estimate that an additional 20 minutes of daily exercise could lead to clinically meaningful improvements in SBP, and an additional 10 minutes of exercise per day could improve DBP.

Researchers point out that everyday activities that get the heart pumping can promote healthy blood pressure.

“What’s unique about our exercise variable is that it includes all exercise-like activities, from climbing stairs to a short bike ride, many of which can be integrated into daily routines. “For those who don’t exercise much, walking still had some positive benefits for blood pressure,” Blodgett continued.

Cheng-Han Chen, MDboard-certified interventional cardiologist and medical director of the Structural Heart Program at MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center in Laguna Hills, CA, told Healthline that the study reinforces physician-backed recommendations for regular daily exercise.

“It’s encouraging to see measurable changes in blood pressure with just a few minutes of exercise, something that can be incorporated even into a busy schedule,” Chen said.

“We know that physical activity directs our organs and tissues to undergo changes that improve their performance and efficiency, which can then lead to improved blood pressure control. By increasing the intensity of exercise, you accelerate physiological changes that provide heart health benefits,” he explained.

The results of this study do not suggest that 5 minutes of exercise a day is enough, but rather encourage people to already doing regular exercise to increase their production, especially those with high blood pressure.

Current CDC guidelines for physical activity we recommend 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise each week for adults, 75 minutes of vigorous exercise, or a combination of moderate and vigorous exercise.

For heart health, Chen said he usually recommends 30 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic activity daily most days of the week.

To effectively lower blood pressure, Chen echoed the results of this study and recommended aerobic forms of exercise such as:

• walking
• jogging
• cycling
• swimming or water aerobics

“It’s also helpful to incorporate strength training, as this also helps improve blood vessel function and blood pressure,” Chen said.

“Patients whose blood pressure is not under control should avoid very high-intensity exercise, such as sprinting or heavy lifting, as these activities can lead to an increase in blood pressure,” he advised.

Chen noted that many people may not realize the health benefits of adding a little exercise to their daily routine.

“There are many easy ways to incorporate physical activity throughout the day,” he noted. Some examples may include:

• short brisk 5-minute walks to work
• taking the stairs instead of the elevator
• parking further from the store and walking

Chen noted that if you live with high blood pressure, you should talk to your doctor about lifestyle factors that can help you control it.

In addition to regular physical activity, other ways to lower blood pressure may include: