2 Best Exercises You Can Do at Home To Effectively Lower Blood Pressure

You'll probably raise your eyebrows if you are told to exercise to lower your blood pressure. However, specific exercises can help reduce blood pressure by naturally decreasing the blood flow.

Exercise to Reduce Blood Pressure

In a new study, researchers learned that isometric exercises can help lower blood pressure. An isometric exercise entails holding a particular muscle contraction for the duration of the exercise, ensuring that the muscle's length remains constant.

Planks and wall sits are examples of isometric exercises. These two exercises are most helpful for lowering blood pressure.

The theory is that blood flow normally lowers when a muscle is contracted. The release of that contraction causes the blood vessels to relax by sending metabolic signals when blood flow resumes. Lower blood pressure is the end effect.

The study examined over 15,000 participants in 270 randomized controlled trials. It was discovered that doing three isometric workouts on average each week was the most effective strategy for lowering blood pressure.

Each session included four sets of isometric exercises lasting two minutes each, interspersed with one to four minutes of recovery. The subsequent drop in blood pressure was similar to what was observed in those on regular blood pressure medication.

Additionally, the study team has demonstrated that isometric exercise enhances the health of our vascular system, our autonomic nervous system, and the structure, mechanics, and function of our heart. A healthy heart and a decreased disease risk depend on these changes.

You can benefit from using isometric exercise in your everyday regimen. There is a crucial warning, though -- blood pressure increases when a prolonged muscle spasm obstructs blood flow. For someone with uncontrolled high blood pressure or cardiovascular issues, this may not be safe, even though it only lasts for the duration of the muscular contraction.

If any of those situations apply to you, visit your doctor to see whether doing isometric exercises is safe for you.

ALSO READ: Exercise Could Reduce Heart Disease Risk by Up to 23% by Affecting Brain's Stress Responses, Study Reveals

Other Benefits of Isometric Exercises

It turned out that aside from reducing blood pressure, isometric exercises have tons of benefits. Here are some of them.

Better joint health

When we move, our ligaments are crucial in keeping our joints stable. However, overuse of a ligament, like an awkward single-leg landing during a jump, can result in injury. An anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture is one example of a ligament injury that significantly affects health.

However, because they contribute to a joint's stability, our muscles are crucial in lessening the strain on our ligaments. Additionally, studies indicate that isometric exercise, which targets specific muscle groups, can alleviate the strain on particular ligaments.

Addresses muscle imbalance

It's normal to have stronger muscles on one side of your body than the other. This phenomenon, referred to as "limb dominance," is partially caused by laterality or the inclination we have to use one side of our bodies over the other.

Although having stronger muscles on one side of the body than the other usually doesn't mean anything is wrong, it might raise the risk of injury and impact an athlete's performance. However, because they only work one side of the body, unilateral (one-sided) isometric exercises like the side plank and split squat may help lessen strength disparities between limbs.

Improves performance

Strength can be increased in certain stationary positions with the help of isometric workouts. This is because isometric exercises can target and stimulate very certain muscle groups or muscles.