Asymptomatic Pulmonic Valve Mass: A Diagnostic and Therapeutic ...
Dr. Roach: Spinal Cord Injury Gets Misdiagnosed As 'blood Pressure Stroke'
detroitnews.Com cannot provide a good user experience to your browser. To use this site and continue to benefit from our journalism and site features, please upgrade to the latest version of Chrome, Edge, Firefox or Safari.
Blood Pressure Is Best Lowered By 2 Exercises, Study Finds
Important note: Before beginning any new exercise program, consult your doctor. Stop immediately if you feel pain.
CNN —
When it comes to lowering blood pressure, studies have typically shown that aerobic or cardio exercises are best.
Now, new research suggests another type of physical activity is worth including as an effective tool to prevent and treat hypertension, or high blood pressure.
Exercises that engage muscles without movement — such as wall squats and planks — may be best for lowering blood pressure, according to a large study published Tuesday in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
This type of training is known as isometric, or static, exercise, according to the Mayo Clinic. Isometric muscle action happens when muscles contract but do not visibly change length, and the joints involved don't move, facilitating stability of the body.
Isometric exercises can be done with weights or without, just relying on the body's own weight.
"Overall, isometric exercise training is the most effective mode in reducing both systolic and diastolic blood pressure," said study coauthor Dr. Jamie O'Driscoll in a news release. He is a reader in cardiovascular physiology at Canterbury Christ Church University's School of Psychology and Life Sciences in England.
"These findings provide a comprehensive data-driven framework to support the development of new exercise guideline recommendations for the prevention and treatment of arterial hypertension."
Existing guidelines on exercise for blood pressure management — which emphasize aerobic or cardio exercises such as running or cycling — are effective but also based on old research that excludes more recently adopted exercise protocols such as high-intensity interval training and isometric training, the authors said.
The researchers felt the guidelines were outdated and in need of review, so they looked into randomized controlled trials that had reported the effects of exercise interventions, lasting two or more weeks, on systolic and/or diastolic blood pressure between 1990 and February 2023.
Systolic blood pressure measures the maximum pressure in the arteries as the heart contracts and relaxes, while diastolic blood pressure denotes what the arterial pressure is when the heart rests between beats, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The authors defined healthy resting blood pressure as a reading below 130 over 85 millimeters of mercury — a measurement of pressure known as mmHg — pre-high blood pressure as ranging from 130/85 mmHg to 139/89 mmHG, and high blood pressure as 140/90 mmHG or greater. The top numbers of these figures are the systolic pressure; the bottom numbers are diastolic pressure.
From a review of 270 trials with 15,827 participants — which is known as a meta-analysis — the authors found that among HIIT, isometric exercise, aerobic exercise, dynamic resistance training and a combination of the latter two, isometric exercise led to the greatest reductions in blood pressure.
"The reductions in blood pressure after aerobic exercise training amounted to 4.49/2.53 mmHg; 4.55/3.04 mmHg after dynamic resistance training; 6.04/2.54 mmHg after combined training; 4.08/2.50 mmHg after HIIT; and 8.24/4 mmHg after isometric exercise training," according to a news release.
Performing wall squats (isometric exercise) was most effective for reducing systolic pressure, and running (aerobic exercise) was most beneficial for decreasing diastolic pressure, but isometric exercise overall was best for lowering both pressure elements.
"It's encouraging to see other forms of exercise explored in this research as we know that those who take on exercise they enjoy tend to carry on for longer, which is key in maintaining lower blood pressure," said Joanne Whitmore, senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation, via email. Whitmore wasn't involved in the study.
"However, it's important to note that there are other lifestyle changes as well as exercise that can benefit your blood pressure," she added. "These include keeping to a healthy weight, eating a balanced diet, cutting down on salt, not drinking too much alcohol and ensuring that you continue to take any prescribed medication."
More research is needed to determine exactly why isometric exercises might be better for lowering blood pressure than other types of training, the authors said.
Video Ad Feedback
Here's what your doctor could be getting wrong at your checkup
The authors said their findings should inform future guidelines about exercise for blood pressure.
Guidelines by the World Health Organization say people should do 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise weekly, which includes two strength-based training sessions.
"This research fits very nicely into those guidelines," said Jim Pate, senior exercise physiologist at Marylebone Health Group in London, who wasn't involved in the study.
QUIZ: Does your workout routine match your goals?
You can do a wall squat or sit by standing with your back flat against a wall, then walking your feet about 1½ feet (0.5 meter) out from the wall, with your feet shoulder-width apart, according to the Arthritis Foundation. With your back flat against the wall and your abs tight, inhale and then exhale as you squat as low as you can comfortably go without your butt going lower than your knees. Remain squatting until you feel pain, then inhale as you stand, pushing up from your heels. The Arthritis Foundation recommends doing 10 wall squats three times weekly.
Isometric training programs usually involve four two-minute contractions, separated by one- to four-minute rest intervals, done three times per week, according to the study.
If you have a heart condition, talk with your doctor about the best exercise for you, Whitmore said.
"People with health conditions should not be afraid to exercise in safe ways," Pate said via email. "But seeking a professional who has experience with clinical exercise, like a sport and exercise medicine doctor, physiotherapist or clinical exercise physiologist, can help provide the structure and reassurance to make it achievable."
Sign up for CNN's Fitness, But Better newsletter series. Our seven-part guide will help you ease into a healthy routine, backed by experts.
Six Simple Exercises That Can Reduce Blood Pressure – & They Can All Be Done At Home
WE'VE long been told to get up and get moving to boost our health.
But new research suggests that NOT moving may be a real tonic too.
7
A study has found that static exercises are great for lowering blood pressureA study has found that static exercises — known as isometric by fitness experts — are better at lowering blood pressure than walking, running or cycling.
A wall squat and plank are among the recommended exercises that can be done anywhere, with no equipment.
Dr Jamie O'Driscoll, author of the study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, said of the exercises: "They increase the tension in the muscles when held for two minutes, then cause a sudden rush of blood when you relax.
"This increases the blood flow — but you must remember to breathe."
His team at Canterbury Christ Church University examined the results of 270 trials published since 1990, involving nearly 16,000 volunteers, to see what conclusions they could draw about the effect of different workouts on blood pressure.
They believe health authorities should now update guidelines for the prevention and treatment of high blood pressure, or hypertension, which can lead to a heart attack or stroke.
But medical writer Dr Hilary Jones warned against relying too much on squats and planks.
He said: "I looked at the study and the blood pressure-lowering effect was pretty small.
Most read in Health
GOOD MOOD FOOD
Eating household staple can regulate person's mood and make them less angry
WHAT A TREAT
You can eat chips and lose weight! 6 fast foods transformed to under 500kcals
BIBLICAL DISEASE
Doctors discover man's rash was actually a case of killer medieval disease
BRAIN CHANGER
From dancing to ear plugs - five simple ways to ward off dementia"I'd hate people to think they could just do static exercises twice a day and be protected from heart disease and high blood pressure.
"Other lifestyle issues are going to be much more significant, such as smoking, alcohol and salt intake."
Here are six low-energy workouts that could take the pressure off.
CALF RAISE HOLD7
Raise your heels off the ground while standing with a weight in each handSTAND with weights in each hand, then raise your heels off the ground.
When you are standing as high as possible, hold the position for a minute.
THE SQUAT7
To start the squat get your feet slightly wider than hip-width apartSTART with your feet slightly wider than hip-width apart, keeping your chest up and out.
Next, lower yourself into a squat position, going as far down as possible. Try to hold it for 30 seconds.
STATIC LUNGE7
Hold the static lunge for 30 seconds and then repeat with the other legSTAND with your feet hip-width apart and hands at your sides.
Next, take a large stride forward with one foot, keeping your chest up and shoulders back.
Your knee should be bent to 90 degrees. Hold for 30 seconds and then repeat with the other leg.
BRIDGE7
Try to hold the bridge for ten seconds.LIE down, with your back flat on the floor, knees raised and arms flat to your sides.
Then gently raise your hips so your backside is off the ground. Once you are in a bridge position try to hold it for ten seconds.
WALL SQUAT7
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart to start the wall squatPUSH your back against a wall, with your feet shoulder-width apart.
Next, lower your hips into a sitting position, with knees at a 90-degree angle. Hold the position for at least ten seconds.
THE PLANK7
Hold to hold the plank for as long as you canGET down as if to do press-ups, with just your toes, hands and forearms in contact with the floor, your forearms parallel with your body.
Keep your body straight, from your head to your heels, and your shoulders down. Hold the position for as long as you can.
By ZOE WILLIAMS, Sun GP
THIS new research is both interesting and useful, particularly when advising patients who are taking up physical activity to try to manage hypertension.
Exercise has been shown to be as effective at reducing blood pressure as medication, so patients should be aware of this and encouraged to build activity into their lives.
It's important to know that all types of exercise and physical activity are beneficial for mental and physical health.
The bottom line is that being active, however you do it, is the most important thing.
So if you already enjoy a physical activity there is no need to change what you are doing.
But if blood pressure is of concern, then maybe think about adding some of these static exercises into your warm-up.
For people who are inactive, this research tells us that these simple exercises, that can be done at home without cost or equipment, can make a more significant difference to health than perhaps we previously thought.
A good way to build them into your daily routine is by linking them to existing activities that you already do every day – try a plank while the kettle boils, a wall squat while brushing your teeth, or hold a squat for the length of an advert during the ad break of your favourite TV programme.
Comments
Post a Comment