How just FIVE minutes of exercise a day could lower blood pressure
Studies have discovered that just five minutes of physical activity per day can reduce blood pressure and help prevent heart issues.
Incorporating brief periods of physical activity into your daily schedule, like climbing stairs or cycling, can help lower blood pressure readings.
Health experts maintain that making minor adjustments to daily habits, such as replacing five minutes of TV watching with five minutes of running, can lead to a substantial improvement in cardiovascular health.
It appears that activities that increase the heart rate, such as dancing, running, or even thorough cleaning, tend to yield the most significant benefits.
Investigated a group of 14,761 individuals who wore activity trackers to examine the connection between daily physical activity and blood pressure.
Over a 24-hour period, people typically spent about seven hours resting, ten hours engaged in sedentary activities like sitting, three hours standing, one hour engaging in leisurely walking, one hour brisk walking, and 16 minutes participating in physical activities that increased their heart rate, such as jogging or cycling.
Engaging in an additional five minutes of physical activity, such as brisk walking, jogging, or cycling, which boosts heart rate, was shown to lower systolic blood pressure (SBP) by 0.68 millimeters of mercury (mmHg) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) by 0.54 mmHg.
The systolic value is the higher figure in a blood pressure reading and measures the pressure when the heart pumps blood into the circulatory system during a contraction. The diastolic value is the lower figure and represents the pressure in the blood vessels when the heart is relaxed between beats.
At the population level, a 2 millimeter of mercury reduction in systolic blood pressure and a 1 millimeter of mercury reduction in diastolic blood pressure are equivalent to a roughly 10 percent reduction in the risk of heart disease, the researchers stated.
This could be achieved by reassigning 20-27 minutes from other activities to exercise for the highest number, and 10-15 minutes for the lower number, a study published in Circulation found.
For example, swapping 21 minutes of sedentary time, 22 minutes of standing, or 26 minutes of slow walking with exercise such as cycling or jogging can have this effect on systolic blood pressure.
For diastolic blood pressure, benefits would arise from replacing 10 minutes of brisk walking, 11 minutes of sedentary time, or 13 minutes of sleeping with moderate exercise.
High blood pressure is a major health concern in the UK, accounting for the majority of strokes and heart attacks. Approximately 14 million adults are believed to be affected, with an estimated five million going undiagnosed.
If allowed to persist, the heart may become enlarged over time due to excessive pressure, resulting in reduced efficiency of heart function and potentially leading to heart failure.
Leading researcher Dr. Jo Blodgett, of the University of London, stated: 'Our research indicates that, for most individuals, engaging in physical exercise is crucial for lowering blood pressure, as opposed to less intense forms of physical activity like walking.
It's reassuring to know that regardless of one's physical abilities, noticeable improvements on blood pressure can be achieved in a relatively short period.
‘What makes our exercise variable stand out is that it encompasses all exercise-related activities, including climbing stairs to a short cycling trip, many of which can be incorporated into daily routines.
For individuals who are relatively inactive, regular walking can still contribute to lowering blood pressure.
'If you wish to alter your blood pressure, increasing the load on your cardiovascular system through physical activity will have the most significant impact.'
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