Nearly half of all Americans have high blood pressure, which is one of the leading causes of death in the United States. Fortunately, exercise is an effective and low-cost way to naturally reduce blood pressure. Plus, it’s not just your heart that benefits. Regular exercise also boosts mood, helps manage weight, improves sleep, and promotes longevity.
If you have high blood pressure, here are eight simple exercises that can help you reduce your blood pressure.
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Walking is gentle, low-impact, and excellent for exercise beginners or seniors. It improves blood circulation, helps maintain a healthy weight, and reduces stress hormones that can raise blood pressure.
To begin a walking regimen, Jeffrey Lander, MD, FACC, a board-certified cardiologist and co-director of Sports Cardiology at RWJBarnabas Health, suggests walking at a pace that raises your heart rate but allows conversation. Aim for 30 minutes daily, five to six days a week.
It’s all about your pace. “Walk fast enough that you can talk, but can’t sing,” Karen Owoc, ACSM-CEP, a clinical exercise physiologist certified by the American College of Sports Medicine, told Health. “If you can’t talk, or you can only speak a single word, you are exercising too vigorously. If you are singing, then you are likely not exercising intensely enough. As you become more conditioned, you will be able to walk faster with less breathlessness.”
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Cycling is another low-impact exercise that strengthens your heart and improves circulation while being easy on the joints, said Lander. This makes it ideal for moderately active people. Cycling also increases oxygen delivery and lowers vascular resistance.
Lander suggests using either a stationary or an outdoor bike and keeping a steady pace. From there, you can gradually increase your time and intensity. He recommends cycling for 30 minutes, three to five times a week.
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Swimming works your entire body while minimizing joint stress. This makes it a great option for older adults or those with joint issues, said Lander. “The water pressure itself can help improve circulation.”
Lander suggests starting with slow laps or water aerobics, using a floatation device if needed. This will help you build up endurance over time so that you can try more challenging swimming options in the water. He suggests swimming for 30 minutes, three to four times a week.
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Yoga combines gentle movement, stretching, and breathing exercises that lower stress, a leading cause of high blood pressure. This form of exercise is suitable for all fitness levels, especially beginners.
Follow a beginner’s class or video, focusing on slow stretches and deep breathing. “Popular poses like Child’s Pose and Cat-Cow are especially helpful,” said Lander.
He recommends doing yoga for 20 to 30 minutes, three to four times a week. In one meta-analysis, yoga had a significant impact on both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Some people, who practiced yoga long-term, noticed improvements in their lipid profile (or cholesterol).
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Light resistance training helps build muscle, improve metabolism, and reduce arterial stiffness over time, according to Lander. It’s good for active adults and can be adapted for beginners. Use light dumbbells, resistance bands, or your body weight and perform 8 to 12 reps for each of major muscle group.
Perform exercises like squats, bicep curls, and wall push-ups and focus on controlled, slow movements and proper form. Lander suggests implementing resistance training two to three non-consecutive days per week. Having a day of rest between your strength training sessions gives your muscles a chance to recover.
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Using a step or sturdy platform, step up and down at a steady rhythm. This strengthens your legs while raising your heart rate and trains your heart to pump more efficiently, said Owoc.
Owoc suggests starting with three minutes of continuous stepping and using the “talk test” to monitor your level of exertion. “If you can’t talk at any time, slow down or include a rest period. When you can talk again, resume stepping.”
If your balance is not that stable, Owoc suggests holding onto a railing or placing a hand on the wall for a little more support or starting with a lower step or march in place. For active exercisers, she suggests speeding up and stepping up faster.
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Intervals in your home are a great way to get your heart rate up and do some aerobic exercise—especially when the weather is not conducive to walking. Owoc suggests alternating one minute of faster effort—like marching in place—with two minutes of slower recovery. Repeat this interval five to six times.
“Just 15 minutes of intervals a few times per week makes your heart stronger and more resilient,” said Owoc. “Intervals also increase the load on the muscles without letting your heart elevate beyond a safe rate.”
You can apply intervals to any activity, such as your walking, stepping, marching in place, or cycling. For beginners or seniors, Owoc recommends lowering the faster period to 20 seconds, especially if you’re having trouble talking.
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The 4-7-8 breathing exercise can help stimulate the vagus nerve, which triggers the release of acetylcholine (a neurotransmitter), also known as the body’s “natural tranquilizer,” according to Owoc.
“Stimulating the vagus nerve helps to lower blood pressure and reduce chronic systemic inflammation,” said Owoc. This breathing exercise can be done sitting, standing, or lying down. You can keep your eyes open or closed, so you can do 4-7-8 breathing anytime or anywhere, such as while stuck in traffic or in a high anxiety meeting.
This exercise is ideal for people with limited mobility. Here’s how to do it, according to Owoc:
- Exhale completely through your mouth.
- Inhale through your nose to a count of four.
- Hold your breath for a count of seven.
- Then exhale completely through your mouth with pursed lips to a count of eight.
- Do the 4-7-8 at least twice a day.
- Repeat this pattern for a total of four cycles for the first month. After practicing the 4-7-8 breathing exercise for a month, you can repeat the cycle up to eight times.
Besides exercise, you should be getting seven to eight hours of quality sleep, eating a heart-healthy diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins, and limiting salt and processed foods helps lower blood pressure, according to Lander.
In fact, many heart health experts recommend the DASH diet to lower blood pressure. A meta-analysis found that following DASH lowered systolic blood pressure by about 6 to 7 mmHg and diastolic by 3 to 4 mmHg on average.
Managing stress with relaxation techniques like deep breathing or meditation can also lower blood pressure, he said. Spending time in nature or the outdoors may also help to lower blood pressure.
Exercise is a great way to naturally reduce blood pressure. Whether you walk, strength train, and swim, or attend a yoga class, do step-ups in your home, and practice the 4-7-8 breathing technique, there are effective ways to lower your blood pressure.
Just make sure you discuss your exercise plans with a healthcare provider first. They can assess your fitness level and heart health and provide recommendations on what is safe for you to try.
