The surprisingly simple exercise that could lower your blood pressure — SkimNews
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- The randomized trial enrolled 100 adults averaging 37.4 years old with systolic readings of 120-140 mmHg; none had been diagnosed with hypertension or used blood-pressure medication before assigning participants to a control group or four active training groups.
- The four-week program consisted of four wall-squat holds with two minutes of seated recovery between holds, performed three times weekly at home.
- All four exercise groups registered significant reductions in systolic pressure, diastolic pressure and mean arterial pressure versus controls after the first four weeks.
- The once- and twice-weekly groups retained significant reductions in systolic pressure and mean arterial pressure versus controls at week eight, but no maintenance schedule showed a statistically significant between-group difference in diastolic pressure.
- The three-times-weekly group had the largest mean systolic reduction at 13.73 mmHg from baseline, versus 6.95 mmHg for twice weekly and 6.56 mmHg for once weekly; it also preserved improvements in total peripheral resistance and heart-rate variability.
- The group that stopped exercising experienced a reversal of its earlier blood-pressure improvements and ended the study with readings no longer statistically different from controls.
- The researchers concluded that higher frequencies were needed to preserve the benefits and associated vascular and cardiac autonomic adaptations; because maintenance lasted only four weeks, they said longer studies are needed to assess months- or years-long durability.
Why it matters: In this trial, non-hypertensive adults with limited time retained significant short-term systolic reductions of 6.56 mmHg with one weekly session and 6.95 mmHg with two. Three sessions produced a 13.73 mmHg drop plus vascular and cardiac gains, while stopping returned readings to control-like levels, making exercise frequency the material difference.
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