Key takeaways
- Regular aerobic exercise can lower blood pressure because it triggers your body to release nitric oxide, which helps blood vessels widen and relax.
- Exercise and blood pressure medications work together. Staying active may strengthen medication results and, over time, can reduce the amount of medication you need.
- To see the best results, aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate activity per week. Try combining cardio with strength training 2 to 3 days weekly, and remember to warm up and cool down.
High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, often has no symptoms but can lead to serious heart problems if left unchecked.
Physical activity is one of the most powerful natural tools you have to manage your blood pressure and strengthen your heart.
This article will explore how exercise works to lower your blood pressure, which types of movement are most effective, and how you can build a plan that fits your lifestyle.
Key Terms
Blood pressure: The force of your blood as it hits against the walls of your blood vessels.
When you have consistently high blood pressure, it puts a strain on your heart and can damage the delicate tissues in your arteries, leading to clogged vessels or even heart failure.
When you exercise, your blood pressure goes up temporarily, which is normal. However, after you stop, your blood pressure often drops below its starting level. This immediate reduction can last for up to 22 hours because exercise stimulates your body to release a molecule called nitric oxide. This helps your blood vessels widen and relax.
Over time, these short-term drops turn into permanent changes. Your heart becomes stronger and more efficient, meaning it doesn’t have to work as hard to pump blood throughout your body. On average, regular aerobic exercise can lower your blood pressure by 5 to 7 millimeters of mercury (mmHg).
Most forms of activity provide some benefit for your heart. The main types to focus on include:
- Aerobic exercise (cardio): This is anything that gets your heart rate up for a sustained period. Examples include brisk walking, running, swimming, cycling, and even dancing. The American College of Sports Medicine states that aerobic exercise is the most effective for lowering blood pressure.
- Resistance training (strength): This involves moving your muscles against a weight or force. You can use free weights, resistance bands, or your own body weight (like push-ups or squats). The American Heart Association recommends including this
at least two days per week . - Mind-body exercises: Physical activities like Yoga, Tai Chi, and Qigong have significant benefits for blood pressure and general health. These practices focus on breathing and mental relaxation and can sometimes result in even larger drops in systolic blood pressure than traditional gym workouts.
If you’re already taking blood pressure medication, it’s important to keep taking it even if you increase your physical activity. According to a 2021 systematic review, exercise and medication don’t necessarily double their effects when combined, but exercise does bolster or strengthen the results of medication.
Staying active long-term may actually change how much medication you need. A two-year study in 2023 found that participants who followed a consistent exercise program were able to significantly reduce the amount of medication they needed to keep their blood pressure in a healthy range.
Always talk to your doctor before changing your medication dose.
How to create an exercise plan
Health experts often use the FITT principle to help people get started with exercise:
- Frequency: Aim to be active most days of the week. For aerobic exercise, aim for 5 to 7 days. For strength training, aim for 2 to 3 days.
- Intensity: Aim for moderate intensity. A great way to test this is the “talk test”. If you can talk in short sentences but you’re working too hard to sing, you are likely in the right zone. You can also use a 1 to 10 scale and aim for a 5 or 6.
- Time: The goal is to get at least 150 minutes of moderate activity per week. This sounds like a lot, but you can break it into 30-minute sessions 5 days per week.
- Type: Mix it up! Combining cardio and strength training provides the best whole-body benefits.
Learn more about the FITT principle.
To stay safe while exercising on blood pressure medications, keep these tips in mind:
Ask a doctor first
If you’ve been inactive for a long time or have a heart condition, check with a doctor before you start a new exercise program. They may recommend a maximum heart rate threshold to stay below. You can use a fitness tracker, such as a watch, to monitor your beats per minute (bpm).
Control your breathing
Breath control is important when being physically active. Many people accidentally hold their breath when lifting something heavy. This can cause a dangerous
Warm up
It’s important to warm up before exercising so you don’t strain your muscles, tendons, and ligaments. It also allows your heart rate and breathing to increase gradually.
Cool down
Cooling down after exercise by slow walking or stretching helps your heart return to its resting state safely. Stopping exercise too suddenly can cause your blood pressure to drop too fast, which might make you feel dizzy or faint.
To see the best results from increasing your exercise, try the following:
Be consistent
To see improvement in your blood pressure and general health, exercise consistently. You may not see results right away, but they will come. It may take 18 to 24 months of consistency to reduce your need for blood pressure medication.
Sit less, move more
Try to sit less during the day. Even small movements, like taking the stairs or standing up for 5 minutes every hour, can help
Eat well
Eating a nutrient-dense diet, like the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) plan, can have a huge impact on your overall health. This means eating more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains while limiting salt (sodium) to less than 1,500 mg per day.
To see the impact your physical activity has on your blood pressure, you’ll need to check it regularly.
You can track your resting heart rate in the morning using a wearable fitness device, which can help you see how your heart is getting stronger over time.
Keep a written log of these measurements or use an app to help you and your healthcare team monitor your heart health effectively.
A normal blood pressure reading is less than 120/80 mmHg, while anything 130/80 mmHg or higher is considered hypertension. You should consult a doctor if your top number stays above 150 or below 100, and seek immediate help if your reading ever hits 180/120 mmHg.
Medical Perspective“The easiest way to monitor your blood pressure at home would be to use a blood pressure monitoring cuff. A blood pressure cuff can typically be purchased at your local pharmacy.”
Read more: How to check Your Blood Pressure at Home
Quotes represent the opinions of our medical experts. All content is strictly informational and should not be considered medical advice.
Exercise improves blood pressure by making your heart stronger and your blood vessels more flexible. When combined with blood pressure medications, the benefits for your heart are even greater.
By staying consistent with moderate activity most days of the week, you can lower your blood pressure naturally, improve your quality of life, and reduce your need for medication over time.
Disclaimer: While Healthline strives for factual, comprehensive, and current information, this article is not a substitute for a licensed healthcare professional’s expertise. Always consult a doctor before taking or discontinuing any medication. Drug information is subject to change and may not cover all uses, directions, precautions, warnings, interactions, reactions, or adverse effects. The lack of a warning does not guarantee a drug’s safety, effectiveness, or appropriateness for all patients or specific uses. Learn more about our approach to content integrity.