Exercises like planks and wall sits help lower blood pressure, reveals new study

For people who think that exerciseincreases your blood pressure, it's not because a newstudy suggests the opposite.

Researchers at Canterbury Christ Church & Leicester Universities in their study published online in the British Journal of Sports Medicine stated that exercises like plank and wall sitsreduce blood pressure, the Guardian reported.

The researchers compared the efficacies of various forms in lowering blood pressure and discovered that "isometric exercises,"were nearly twice as effective as the exercise guidelines recommended.

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The NHS website also suggests that adults should do at least 150 minutes of moderate to intensity aerobic activity, such as cycling or fast walking, in a week along with healthy diet and lifestyle changes to reduce their blood pressure.

The study examined some 270 random clinical trials involving 15,827 participants to know the effects of particular exercises categorised into aerobic, HIIT, dynamic resistance training and isometric exercises on resting blood pressure.

A reader in cardiovascular physiology at Canterbury Christ Church University, Jamie O'Driscoll said the reason why isometric exercises are the most effective as the muscle remained contracted but did not change in length.

This is because static contraction while exercising can lead to the compression of blood vessels that supply blood to the active muscles, resulting in reduced blood flow and oxygen.After the exercise, when the muscle relaxes, there is a surge of blood flow through vessels triggering better blood regulation.

O'Driscoll said, "Performing 4 x 2 minutes of wall sits, with 2-minutes’ rest in between, three times per week, is an effective way to reduce your blood pressure. They should be done alongside other exercise modes, to provide the maximum range of exercise choices rather than limiting them."

A senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation, Joanne Whitmoresaid that it's encouraging to see the benefits of other forms of exercise along with aerobic exercises.

"We know that those who take on exercise they enjoy tend to carry on for longer, which is key in maintaining lower blood pressure."Furthermore, she said itis important to make lifestyle changes too, such as losing weight, eating healthily and reducing alcohol consumption to have the best results.

(With inputs from agencies)

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