Short Isometric Exercises Show Promising Results in Lowering Blood Pressure

For individuals struggling to meet the recommended 150 minutes of weekly moderate-intensity exercise, there’s good news. A recent analysis suggests that incorporating just eight minutes of isometric exercise, three times a week, can significantly reduce blood pressure, offering a simple yet effective alternative to traditional workouts like brisk walking or bicycling.

The prescribed isometric exercise involves performing four wall sits, each lasting two minutes, with breaks in between. A full session, including rest, takes only 14 minutes. The research reveals that, on average, a regular isometric routine of wall sits led to a noteworthy reduction in systolic blood pressure (the top number) by 10 mmHg and diastolic pressure by 5 mmHg.

The study’s senior author, Jamie O’Driscoll, emphasizes the potential of isometric exercises in blood pressure management, proposing the development of new exercise guidelines beyond the current emphasis on aerobic exercise for hypertension prevention and treatment. He encourages individuals facing challenges in reducing blood pressure, despite adhering to existing guidelines, to consider incorporating isometrics as a complementary addition to their exercise routine.

Isometric exercises involve static contractions where the muscle length remains unchanged, explains Jamie Edwards, the study’s first author and a PhD researcher at Canterbury Christ Church University. The research, based on a review of 270 randomized controlled trials involving 15,827 participants, specifically examined the blood pressure effects of three isometric exercises: squeezing a handgrip dynamometer, extending legs against a fixed resistance, and squatting with the back flat against the wall. Notably, planks, a popular example of isometric exercises, were not included in the study.