A new study reveals that even small adjustments in daily routines can significantly impact blood pressure. By replacing just five minutes of sedentary or low-intensity movement with moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, individuals can lower their blood pressure and improve overall heart health.
The Power of Moderate-to-Vigorous Activity
Many people believe that simply standing or walking more throughout the day is enough to promote cardiovascular health. However, new research suggests that engaging in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, even briefly, is far more effective in lowering blood pressure.
“Our findings suggest that, for most people, exercise is key to reducing blood pressure, rather than less strenuous forms of movement such as walking,” lead study author Joanna Blodgett, PhD, of the Institute of Sport, Exercise, and Health at University College London, said in a statement.
Dr. Blodgett emphasized that improving blood pressure doesn’t require long hours at the gym.
“The good news is that whatever your physical ability, it doesn’t take long to have a positive effect on blood pressure,” she said. Activities such as climbing stairs or cycling to run errands can provide similar benefits to structured workouts.
Study Findings: Exercise Lowers Both Systolic and Diastolic Blood Pressure
Researchers analyzed data from nearly 15,000 participants who wore activity trackers for 24 hours. These devices recorded all movement, including sleep, sitting, standing, walking, and exercising. The participants, on average, spent:
- 7.1 hours sleeping
- 10.7 hours sitting or being sedentary
- 3.2 hours standing
- 2.7 hours walking
- 16 minutes engaging in moderate-to-vigorous activity (such as cycling, jogging, or stair climbing)
The study, published in Circulation, found that replacing just five minutes of sedentary behavior with moderate-to-vigorous activity resulted in measurable blood pressure reductions.
Systolic blood pressure—the top number in a reading, indicating the pressure in arteries when the heart beats—dropped by an average of 0.68 mmHg. Diastolic blood pressure—the bottom number, representing the pressure in arteries between heartbeats—decreased by an average of 0.54 mmHg.
These small reductions may not seem significant on their own, but over time, they contribute to better heart health and a lower risk of hypertension-related complications.
How Much Exercise is Needed for Meaningful Health Benefits?
While a five-minute daily increase in activity is enough to start seeing results, the study found that adding 10 to 20 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous exercise daily can produce even more substantial improvements in blood pressure.
- 10 to 15 minutes of exercise daily → 1 mmHg reduction in diastolic blood pressure
- 20 to 27 minutes of exercise daily → 2 mmHg reduction in systolic blood pressure
“If you want to change your blood pressure, putting more demand on the cardiovascular system through exercise will have the greatest effect,” Blodgett said.
The study was not designed to prove the direct cause-and-effect relationship between exercise and lower blood pressure, but the findings strongly support the idea that replacing sedentary behavior with more intense movement has measurable health benefits.
Why Does Exercise Lower Blood Pressure?
Regular physical activity provides numerous cardiovascular benefits that contribute to lower blood pressure. According to Nour Makarem, PhD, an assistant professor of epidemiology at Columbia University’s Irving Medical Center and Mailman School of Public Health in New York City, exercise helps regulate blood pressure in several ways.
Dr. Makarem says, “Beyond the impact on weight, physical activity is also associated with lower stress levels and physiological benefits to the cardiovascular system, such as improved health of the lining of the blood vessels, better sensitivity to insulin, and lower levels of inflammation, which collectively reduce the risk for high blood pressure.”
These combined effects help prevent and manage high blood pressure, reducing the risk of heart disease, stroke, and other related conditions.
Easy Ways to Add More Activity to Your Day
Increasing physical activity doesn’t have to involve expensive gym memberships or hours of intense workouts. There are many simple ways to incorporate more moderate-to-vigorous exercise into daily life.
Bethany Barone Gibbs, PhD, chair and professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at West Virginia University School of Public Health, suggests starting with small, manageable habits.
“Simplest and easiest is a brisk walk, which is at moderate intensity—I often take a loop around my little neighborhood if I can get 10 minutes between meetings or am taking a quick call,” she said. “This is great because I don’t have to change my clothes or take a shower after.”
Other easy ways to increase daily activity include:
- Taking the stairs instead of the elevator
- Jumping rope for a few minutes
- Doing quick strength training exercises with body weight, resistance bands, or dumbbells
- Biking instead of driving for short trips
- Dancing or doing jumping jacks during TV commercial breaks
For those who can manage more intense workouts, longer sessions that induce sweating can further enhance heart health. “If you can do something more intense, you can get greater health benefits—something like going up and down stairs, jumping rope, or a quick strength training circuit can really up the intensity and be pretty accessible,” Dr. Gibbs added.