A recent statement from the American Heart Association (AHA) suggests that doctors should encourage otherwise healthy adults with slightly elevated blood pressure or cholesterol to move more and sit less. Instead of immediately turning to medication, doctors are advised to write exercise “prescriptions” to help patients improve their heart health naturally.
These prescriptions would include personalized recommendations for increasing daily physical activity, along with support resources such as health coaches and community programs. The goal is to make physical activity a regular part of patients’ routines to help lower their risk of heart disease and stroke.
Currently, about 53 million adults in the U.S. (21% of the population) have blood pressure that is slightly too high. This means their systolic blood pressure (the top number) is between 120-139 mmHg, or their diastolic blood pressure (the bottom number) is between 80-89 mmHg.
Additionally, around 71 million U.S. adults (28%) have slightly high cholesterol, defined as a “bad” LDL cholesterol level above 70 mg/dL.
For individuals in these ranges who do not have a high risk of heart disease or stroke, lifestyle changes are recommended as the primary treatment. These changes include increasing physical activity, maintaining a healthy weight, improving diet, quitting smoking, and reducing alcohol intake.
The AHA statement advises doctors to ask patients about their physical activity levels at every visit and to help them find activities they enjoy. Small improvements, such as taking more daily steps or using stairs instead of elevators, should be encouraged and celebrated.
Research has shown that increasing physical activity can lower both systolic and diastolic blood pressure by an average of 3-4 mmHg and reduce LDL cholesterol by 3-6 mg/dL. Physically active individuals also have a 21% lower risk of developing cardiovascular disease and a 36% lower risk of dying from heart-related conditions compared to those who are inactive.
Federal guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity per week, plus two or more strength training sessions. However, the AHA emphasizes that even small increases in activity—just five to ten extra minutes a day—can provide significant health benefits.
The study, conducted by Bethany Barone Gibbs and her team, was published in Hypertension.
If you care about heart health, please read studies about how drinking milk affects risks of heart disease, and herbal supplements could harm your heart rhythm.
For more information about heart health, please see recent studies about how espresso coffee affects your cholesterol level, and results showing Vitamin K2 could help reduce heart disease risk.
Copyright © 2025 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.
