Even five minutes of walking uphill can lower blood pressure Researchers say

A new study highlights the significant impact that even small amounts of physical activity can have on managing blood pressure, offering a simple effective solution for those struggling with hypertension. 

Finding time for daily exercise can be a challenge for many, but a new study involving nearly 15,000 men and women has found that just five minutes of activity that gets your heart rate up can be enough to lower blood pressure, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

An international team of researchers, led by the University of Sydney (USyd) and University College London (UCL), discovered that even short bursts of movement—like taking the stairs, cycling, or jogging for as little as five minutes daily—can help reduce both systolic blood pressure (SBP) by about 0.68 mm Hg and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) by approximately 0.54 mm Hg. SBP, the top number in a blood pressure reading, measures the pressure in the arteries when the heart beats, while DBP, the bottom number, reflects the pressure in the arteries between heartbeats.

“High blood pressure is one of the biggest health issues globally, but unlike some major causes of cardiovascular mortality, there may be relatively accessible ways to tackle the problem in addition to medication,” said Emmanuel Stamatakis, a professor at USyd and the director of the ProPASS (Prospective Physical Activity, Sitting and Sleep) Consortium, and joint senior author of the study.

“The finding that doing as little as five extra minutes of exercise per day could be associated with measurably lower blood pressure readings emphasises how powerful short bouts of higher intensity movement could be for blood pressure management.” Hypertension affects approximately 1.28 billion adults worldwide and is a major contributor to stroke, heart attack, and heart failure. 

While diet, lifestyle changes, and medication play important roles in managing high blood pressure, many people struggle with exercise due to factors like time limitations and fitness levels. In the study, 14,761 participants from five countries wore a thigh accelerometer to monitor their activity levels and blood pressure throughout the day and night. Activities were categorized into six groups: sleep, sedentary behavior (sitting), slow walking, fast walking, standing, and more intense exercises (such as running, cycling, or stair climbing). The researchers analyzed how substituting one of these behaviors with another affected blood pressure. 

By Naila Huseynova