3 min readEnhancewell
You don’t need Apple Bottom jeans or boots with the fur if you want to get low, low, low (blood pressure). Instead, you need a fitness plan that works. For years, we’ve heard that aerobic exercise is key to heart health (hence all that jump roping in elementary school). That was the old-school way— now, new research shows a different kind of exercise that’s even more effective at lowering blood pressure.
Keep reading to discover the aerobic-less way to lower your blood pressure.
Tell me how to get low!
Over a series of 270 randomized control trials spanning more than 30 years, researchers from Christ Church University in Canterbury, UK, tested different types of exercise and their effect on lowering blood pressure. The types of exercise tested were aerobic exercise training, dynamic resistance training, combined training, high-intensity interval training, and isometric exercise training.
Contrary to what we’ve been taught, aerobic exercise training and high-intensity interval training were the least effective, with a 40.5% and 39.4% success rate. The winner? Isometric exercise training was 98.3% effective in lowering systolic blood pressure (SBP).
What is an isometric exercise, and why is it effective?
Isometric exercise involves tightening or contracting a muscle or muscle group without moving the surrounding joints. Instead of pushing or pulling against resistance, participating in isometric exercise means you’ll hold static poses for a longer period of time.
This type of exercise is more effective than intense exercise for lowering blood pressure because contracting muscles temporarily restricts blood flow to your muscles. Releasing the static hold triggers a vasodilating effect as blood rushes back to the muscles, activating a release of nitric oxide, which causes a dilation of blood vessels.
What are some isometric exercises I can try?
The success of these exercises relies on the tension you can hold over an extended period. Start small and build your way up to a two-minute hold if possible. Here are a couple of the isometric exercises performed by participants of the Christ Church University study, + a plank for good measure:
Hand grip squeeze
While you can purchase a hand grip device, a tennis ball works just as well. Place the ball in one hand and squeeze tightly, using 30-50% of your strength. Hold it, rest, then switch to the other hand.
Wall squats
Start with your back against a wall and your legs shoulder-width apart about 2 feet in front of you. Slide down the wall until your knees make a 90° angle with your thighs parallel to the floor. Now, hold it!
Plank
Align your body in a straight line, similar to a push up, but on your elbows. Align your elbows beneath your shoulders, keep your back straight, tighten your muscles, and hold.
Isometric exercises may be the best way to lower blood pressure, but you shouldn’t stop other types of exercise altogether.
So put on your baggy sweatpants and your Reeboks with the straps, and give Enhancewell Fitness a call. We’ll tailor a private session to help you get low, low, low blood pressure without neglecting exercises that will help you lower cholesterol, burn fat, and get fit!