Simple exercise done just once a week could help lower blood pressure

Holding a wall squat for a few minutes might not feel like an intense workout, but a growing body of evidence suggests it could be one of the most effective ways to lower your blood pressure.A trial published in BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine found that isometric exercise training, where muscles contract without moving the joints, leads to meaningful drops in resting blood pressure within just four weeks.Researchers also found that daily exercise may not be necessary to maintain these benefits, as exercising just once a week was enough to preserve some heart-health improvements.ANCIENT CHINESE MOVEMENT SHOWS PROMISE FOR REDUCING BLOOD PRESSURE AT HOME, STUDY SAYSThe study followed 100 inactive adults with normal to high-normal blood pressure, defined as a systolic reading between 120 and 140 millimeters of mercury.For the first four weeks, the participants performed lower-body isometric wall squats three times a week at home.The routine consisted of four two-minute sessions separated by two minutes of seated rest, monitored using heart-rate straps to ensure consistent effort.The study followed 100 inactive adults with normal to high-normal blood pressure, defined as a systolic reading between 120 and 140 millimeters of mercury.

(iStock)After four weeks, participants’ top blood pressure number (systolic pressure) fell by about 9.5 points on average, while their bottom number (diastolic pressure) also dropped compared with the control group.Researchers then examined the effects of reduced exercise frequency.During the following four weeks, participants were randomly assigned to train three, two, one or zero times per week.EVERYDAY HABIT LINKED TO DRAMATICALLY LOWER RISK OF DYING FROM HEART DISEASEThose who stopped exercising completely saw their blood pressure bounce back to baseline within four weeks, essentially wiping out their progress.In contrast, participants who kept training just once or twice a week managed to hold onto a significant portion of th...