A few minutes of wall-sits added to your training programme can decrease your blood pressure, according to new study.

 

According to new study, incorporating a few minutes of wall sits into your exercise programme will decrease your blood pressure.

• In the US, 116 million persons have high blood pressure, which frequently goes undiagnosed.
• According to recent study, wall sits may be the best exercise for lowering blood pressure.
• Three times a week, a 14-minute wall sit programme is advised by doctors.

 

Do you have a wall and some extra time? Attempt a wall-sit! According to recent study, this straightforward activity may help decrease your blood pressure and keep it there.

Running, swimming, and cycling are examples of aerobic exercise training that have historically been advised for decreasing blood pressure. A new study, however, suggests that a straightforward wall-sit could actually be even more helpful in lowering blood pressure. This study was published on July 25 in the medical journal BMJ.

Wall sits were found to reduce blood pressure more effectively than other forms of exercise, such as walking, aerobic exercise training, strength training, and high intensity interval training (HIIT). Researchers examined 270 papers published between 1990 and February 2023.

The "silent killer" is known as hypertension.

When your blood is pressing against the walls of your heart with an excessive amount of force, this condition is referred to as high blood pressure or hypertension. Your arteries may be harmed over time, which might result in significant, perhaps fatal problems like a heart attack or stroke.

Because it frequently has no symptoms, hypertension is known among medical experts as the "silent killer."  In the US, a blood pressure reading is deemed to be above 130 for the top number and 80 for the bottom number.

Another highly widespread condition is high blood pressure, which affects 47% of adults in the United States, or 116 million people, and related to 670,000 deaths in 2020.

Exercise with little impact reduces blood pressure

Exercises that include isometric contractions include wall sits and wall squats. Low-impact workouts called isometrics entail holding a muscular contraction for a brief amount of time while not moving.

According to the scientists' findings in the research, isometric exercise training is often the most efficient method of lowering both systolic and diastolic blood pressure.

These exercises have the primary advantage of being able to be performed practically anyplace and requiring no special equipment. Furthermore, they are quick.

Dr. Tamanna Singh, the co-director of Cleveland Clinic's Sports Cardiology Centre, told the New York Times that "you really only need your body." You're not even required to wear shoes.

According to Dr. Jamie Edwards, a researcher at Canterbury Christ Church University and the study's lead author, people should perform wall sits for two minutes, followed by two minutes of rest, repeated four times for a total of fourteen minutes, according to the New York Times. Edwards advises performing this exercise four times each week. Additionally, he advised against holding your breath as you performed the exercise.

Wall sits may be more successful than other exercises in lowering blood pressure, particularly for people who already have hypertension, but according to Edwards, you should combine wall sits with your regular exercise programme, whether it involves cardio or strength training. Additionally, he advises seeing your doctor to make sure that performing isometric workouts is safe for you.