A 2017 review on the effects of tai chi and high blood pressure shows an overall average of a 15.6 mm Hg drop in systolic blood pressure and a 10.7 mm Hg drop in diastolic blood pressure compared with no exercise at all ( 9).Ī 2014 review on exercise and lowering blood pressure found that there are many combinations of exercise that can lower blood pressure ( 10). One example of moderate activity that can have big results is tai chi. Just do it regularly and work up to at least half an hour per day of moderate activity. Increasing your activity level can be as simple as: The American College of Sports Medicine makes similar recommendations ( 8).īut you don’t have to run marathons. If finding 40 minutes at a time is a challenge, there may still be benefits when the time is divided into three or four 10- to 15-minute segments throughout the day ( 7). This puts less pressure on your arteries and lowers your blood pressure.Ī 2019 report by the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association advises moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity for 40-minute sessions, three to four times per week ( 6). These results are as good as some blood pressure medications.Īs you regularly increase your heart and breathing rates, over time your heart gets stronger and pumps with less effort. In a 2013 study, sedentary older adults who participated in aerobic exercise training lowered their blood pressure by an average of 3.9 percent systolic and 4.5 percent diastolic ( 5). Here are 17 effective ways to lower your blood pressure levels.Ī meta-analysis of 65 studies suggests that aerobic and resistance exercise can significantly lower blood pressure, especially for men ( 4). The good news about elevated blood pressure is that you can make changes to significantly reduce your numbers and lower your risk - without requiring medications.
This means you’re at risk of developing high blood pressure ( 3). If your numbers are above normal but under 130/80 mm Hg, you fall into the category of elevated blood pressure. Blood pressure that’s 130/80 mm Hg or more is considered high. The narrower your arteries, the higher your blood pressure.īlood pressure lower than 120/80 mm Hg is considered normal. Your blood pressure depends on how much blood your heart is pumping, and how much resistance there is to blood flow in your arteries.
The bottom number represents the pressure in your blood vessels between beats, when your heart is filling and relaxing. The top number represents the force of the pressure when your heart pushes blood into the arteries throughout the rest of your body. There are two numbers involved in the measurement: Your blood pressure is measured in millimeters of mercury, which is abbreviated as mm Hg. And these diseases are among the leading causes of death in the United States ( 1).Īlmost half of U.S. It often has no symptoms but is a major risk of heart disease and stroke. High blood pressure (hypertension) is called the “silent killer” for good reason.