To understand this topic, let’s first know what blood pressure is. It’s like a meter reading of how hard your heart works. The ideal reading is below 130/85.
If it’s above that, you need to see a doctor. Two types of pressures are measured – one when the heart beats (systolic) and the other when it rests (diastolic).
Now, let’s talk about exercises. Some involve movement, like running or weight lifting, and others don’t, like sitting against a wall with knees bent or holding a push-up position.
New Insights on Exercise and Blood Pressure
Recently, some scientists did a study on this. They looked at old tests and found out interesting things. Exercise helps lower blood pressure. But not all exercises work the same. Some do better than others.
For a long time, people thought that running, walking or cycling were best for managing blood pressure. But these ideas were based on old tests.
They didn’t consider new types of exercises like high-intensity interval training (HIIT) or static exercises where you hold a position. So, the scientists thought the old advice might be outdated.
A Fresh Look at Old Data
To update this information, they looked at a lot of tests done before. These tests studied how different exercises, performed for at least two weeks, changed blood pressure.
The scientists grouped the exercises into five types. These were cardio exercises like running, resistance training like weight lifting, a mix of both, HIIT, and static exercises.
The Findings
They ended up studying 270 tests done between 1990 and 2023. These tests involved 15,827 people.
The results were exciting. All types of exercises helped lower blood pressure. But static exercises were best. They beat all others.
The drop in blood pressure after different exercises were as follows:
- Cardio exercises: 4.49/ 2.53
- Resistance training: 4.55/3.04
- Mix of both: 6.04/2.54
- HIIT: 4.08/2.50
- Static exercises: 8.24/4
Best Exercises for Lowering Blood Pressure
When ranked, static exercises topped the list with a 98% success rate. It was followed by a mix of both types (76%), resistance training (46%), cardio exercises (40.5%) and HIIT (39%).
Further, the study identified wall squats (a static exercise) and running (a cardio exercise) as the best individual exercises.
A Note of Caution
The scientists said there were differences in the old tests they studied. Some tests had different kinds of participants. Some used different methods.
This could have influenced the results. So, they said their findings should be taken keeping these points in mind.
But overall, they concluded that static exercises were the best for reducing both types of blood pressures.
This study will help in making new exercise guidelines to prevent and treat high blood pressure. It’s a big step in helping people live healthier lives.
If you care about high blood pressure, please read studies about a common and unrecognized cause of high blood pressure, and this small habit can greatly benefit people with high blood pressure, cholesterol.
For more information about high blood pressure, please see recent studies about more efficient way to treat high blood pressure, and natural blood pressure controllers: 12 foods that lower blood pressure.
The study was published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
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