Adding five extra minutes of exercise daily can lower blood pressure, study finds

A new study has revealed that adding just five extra minutes of daily exercise can significantly lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Researchers from the ProPASS (Prospective Physical Activity, Sitting and Sleep) Consortium, an international collaboration led by the University of Sydney and University College London (UCL), found that even small amounts of additional physical activity can lead to measurable health benefits.

The study, published in the journal 'Circulation' and supported by the British Heart Foundation (BHF), analyzed health data from 14,761 volunteers in five countries. Each participant used a portable accelerometer device on their thigh to measure their activity and blood pressure throughout the day and night. Daily activity was split into six categories: sleep, sedentary behavior (such as sitting), standing, slow walking, fast walking, and more vigorous exercise such as running, cycling, or stair climbing.

The average day of the participants consisted of about seven hours of sleep, ten hours of sedentary activity, three hours of standing, one hour of slow-paced walking, one hour of fast-paced walking, and only 16 minutes of physical activity. Using the collected data, researchers modeled the effects of swapping certain behaviors for others to estimate the impact on blood pressure. They found that replacing any less active behavior with five minutes of exercise could reduce systolic blood pressure by 0.68 millimeters of mercury (mmHg) and diastolic blood pressure by 0.54 mmHg.

An extra five minutes of any exercise that raises the heart rate could lower systolic blood pressure (SBP) by 0.68 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) by 0.54 mmHg, which could also lower cardiovascular disease risk by 10%. At the population level, a reduction of 2 mmHg in systolic blood pressure and 1 mmHg in diastolic blood pressure equates to approximately a 10% reduction in the risk of cardiovascular disease, which can reduce risks associated with high blood pressure, such as heart attacks and strokes.

Professor Emmanuel Stamatakis, Director of the ProPASS Consortium from the Charles Perkins Centre and the Faculty of Medicine and Health at the University of Sydney, said: "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." He also noted: "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."

Dr. Jo Blodgett, the first author of the study from University College London, added: "Our findings suggest that, for most people, exercise is key to reducing blood pressure, rather than less strenuous forms of movement such as walking." She emphasized the accessibility of these findings by stating: "The good news is that whatever your physical ability, it doesn't take long to have a positive effect on blood pressure. What's unique about our exercise variable is that it includes all exercise-like activities, from climbing the stairs to a short cycling errand, many of which can be integrated into daily routines."

Among the study participants who did not do a lot of exercise, walking did still have some positive benefits for blood pressure, Dr. Blodgett said. However, she highlighted the greater impact of more vigorous activity: "But if you want to change your blood pressure, putting more demand on the cardiovascular system through exercise will have the greatest effect."

The research team found that replacing sedentary behaviors with 20-27 minutes of exercise per day, including uphill walking, stair-climbing, running, and cycling, was estimated to lead to a clinically meaningful reduction in blood pressure. This level of increased activity could potentially reduce cardiovascular disease by up to 28 percent at a population level.

High blood pressure affects 1.28 billion adults worldwide and is one of the biggest causes of premature death, often described as a "silent killer" due to its lack of symptoms. It can lead to strokes, heart attacks, heart failure, kidney damage, and many other health problems. Hypertension is one of the leading causes of premature death worldwide, and improving blood pressure readings even slightly can have significant health benefits.

The study highlights that blood pressure responds positively to physical activity. Research shows that even small increases in daily physical activity accumulate to meaningful health benefits over time, including lower blood pressure readings. The findings emphasize that even everyday activities that increase heart rate, such as cycling, climbing stairs, or running for short periods, can have benefits for healthy blood pressure.

Adding five extra minutes of exercise is a manageable goal for most people, even with a busy schedule. By integrating short bouts of higher-intensity movement into daily routines, individuals can improve their heart health without requiring major lifestyle changes. According to the study, these five extra minutes are especially impactful for people with slightly elevated blood pressure, often called prehypertension. By adding a little more physical activity each day, people with prehypertension could potentially avoid needing medications or further interventions.

Professor Mark Hamer, joint senior author of the study and ProPASS Deputy Director from UCL, said: "Our findings show how powerful research platforms like the ProPASS consortium are for identifying relatively subtle patterns of exercise, sleep, and sedentary behaviour, that have significant clinical and public health importance."

In conclusion, the research suggests that even small additions of exercise to the daily routine can help reduce blood pressure and improve circulation. For most people, exercise is key to reducing blood pressure, and it doesn't take long to have a positive effect. By making minor adjustments to daily habits, such as adding five minutes of physical activity that raises the heart rate, individuals can significantly lower their blood pressure and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Sources: La Razn, Well+Good, Science Daily, The Guardian

This article was written in collaboration with generative AI company Alchemiq