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The research is good news for people struggling to meet physical activity guidelines that recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise weekly, such as brisk walking or cycling. The new analysis found that about eight minutes of isometric exercise, three times a week, can lead to a significant reduction in blood pressure.
This means sit on the wall for two minutes, rest for two minutes, and repeat four times. A single session, including rest, will last only 14 minutes.
On average, a regular isometric wall-sitting routine reduced systolic blood pressure (the top number) by 10 mmHg and diastolic pressure by 5 mmHg, according to the research.
The study authors say the findings support the development of new exercise guidelines that go beyond recommending aerobic exercise for the prevention and treatment of hypertension.
“Our main message is that exercise is great and any exercise can lower blood pressure,” he said. Jamie O’Driscoll, the lead author of the study. “But if you’re someone who’s currently exercising according to guidelines and you’re still having a little trouble lowering your blood pressure and you want to avoid taking medications, maybe isometric exercises are an additional modality to complement the exercise you’re doing.” We are already doing it.”
Benefits of isometric exercises
An isometric exercise refers to a static contraction in which the length of the muscle does not change, he said. Jaime Edwardsfirst author of the study and PhD researcher at Canterbury Christ Church University.
“Any type of exercise that maintains tension in any position that does not involve dynamic movement is generally isometric exercise,” he said.
The research reviewed 270 randomized controlled trials that collectively studied 15,827 participants. The researchers looked at the effects on blood pressure of three isometric exercises: squeezing a hand-held dynamometer, extending the legs against fixed resistance, and squatting with the back against a wall. (While planks are a popular example of isometric exercises, they were not included in the study.)
The researchers found that, overall, isometric exercise training was the most effective exercise for reducing systolic and diastolic blood pressure.
“From a clinical point of view, these are very promising findings,” he said. Laura Richardson, a registered clinical exercise physiologist at the University of Michigan who was not involved in the study. “Being able to use isometric exercise as a therapeutic tool for those who suffer from hypertension is wonderful. “I really think it’s a great way to get more people involved in the activity.”
Isometric exercises effectively lower blood pressure because contracting a muscle and holding the position temporarily reduces blood flow to that muscle, O’Driscoll said. When you release that contraction, it increases blood flow through the muscle tissue. This produces important signals that cause blood vessels to relax more and create less resistance to blood flow, which ultimately lowers blood pressure, O’Driscoll said.
For wall sitting, find a wall you can lean on. Take a couple of steps forward. Keep your feet hip-width apart and slide your back down the wall until your knees are at about a 90-degree angle, as if you were sitting in a chair, Richardson said.
The lower you squat, the more intense the workout will be. Be careful how much you bend your knees at first. Work your way up to 90 degrees. If you can’t get there, Richardson recommends sliding down based on your knee flexibility and holding steady until you feel fatigue in your lower body muscles.
Isometric exercises, such as wall sits, activate many muscles, help build strength, and are useful for improving balance and range of motion, Richardson said.
“Primarily, you’re going to use a lot of leg muscles: your quads, glutes and calves,” said Richardson, who is also an associate clinical professor at the University of Michigan School of Kinesiology. “If your back is against the wall, it will help work your abdominal muscles.”