Wall Sits and Isometric Exercise Can Greatly Lower Blood Pressure, According to a New Study

Doctors have extolled the value of exercise in lowering blood pressure for decades. This rings especially true for cardio exercise like running or jumping rope. A new study out of the UK, however, turns this notion on its head.

A team of researchers in Britain looked at 270 previous studies that explored the link between exercise and blood pressure and published their findings in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. To no one's surprise, they found that exercises like running, walking, cycling, strength training, and high-intensity interval workouts all helped to reduce blood pressure.

However, the most effective type of workout they looked at wasn't cardio- or weightlifting-centered at all. Isometric exercise, which involves contracting a set of muscles without moving, was the best way to reduce blood pressure, especially for people who already had some form of hypertension. The most commonly known forms of isometric exercise are wall sits and planks, both of which may seem simple but can tough to hold for several minutes.

To help support this idea, the researchers looked at three kinds of isometric workouts in particular: squeezing a handgrip, holding a leg extension machine in place, and squatting with your back against a wall (aka wall sits).

Dr. Jamie J. Edwards, one of the researchers on the study, recommended adding a quick isometric routine to your workout regimen consisting of four two-minute wall sits with two-minute breaks between each one. He also cautioned against holding your breath while doing it, per The New York Times.

The scientists aren't completely sure why isometric exercises are so effective in fighting hypertension. High blood pressure can stiffen our arteries and prevent them from dilating properly, thereby restricting how much blood they can deliver, increasing the risk of heart attack or stroke. Edwards theorized that clenching your muscles without moving makes the blood vessels around them compress, and when you release, blood rushes back through them, causing them to widen in a way they don't during dynamic exercises like running.

If you're worried about high blood pressure, consider adding wall sits to your routine either at home or the gym. Just don't ditch all your other workouts altogether.