Every year, several million deaths worldwide are caused by high blood pressure. The main risk factors are lack of exercise, an unhealthy diet, obesity, stress and excessive alcohol consumption. In addition to medication, exercising can also lower blood pressure considerably.
Researchers compared the effectiveness of different forms of training for reducing blood pressure. Among different studies with thousands of people, they compared the effects of endurance sports such as running or cycling, weight training, high intensity interval training (HIIT) and isometric exercises.
All forms of exercise reduced the test subjects resting blood pressure significantly after only two weeks of exercise. But one form stood out above the others. Surprisingly, it wasn’t the most strenous high intensity training and it wasn’t endurance sports that was until now considered to be the best option to lower blood pressure. No, studies show that isometric exercises proove to be highly effective in lowering blood pressure.

During isometric exercises muscles are tensed without moving. Examples are planks or wall sits. In these exercises, muscle groups are tensed for a longer period of time without movement. For example the forearm plank: The position is similar to a push-up, but the weight is placed on the forearms rather than the hands. This fixed position is then held for a few seconds or minutes, depending on the level of training.
Another classic is the wall sit. This involves squatting against a wall with your back straight and your thighs parallel to the floor, as if you were sitting on a chair.

If you hold the position for two minutes, the muscle tension increases significantly. When you relax again, there is a sudden flow of blood, which is a completely different kind of stress for the body than endurance exercises. Isometric exercises can lower blood pressure on average twice as effectively as other forms of exercise.
Just fifteen minutes of exercise three times a week is enough. Scientists recommend four sessions of planks / forearm support or wall sitting, each lasting two minutes, with a two-minute break between sessions.
In addition to exercise, doctors also advise people with high blood pressure to stop smoking, eat a low-salt diet and avoid obesity and stress.