If you have been diagnosed with high blood pressure, then your doctor has probably spoken to you about exercising to lower blood pressure naturally. But how much exercise to you need to lower blood pressure naturally? And how does exercise lower blood pressure?

The official recommendation from the JNC7 report is that aerobic exercise, such as brisk walking, should be performed for at least 30 minutes, 4 or more times a week, to lower systolic blood pressure an average of 4-9mmhg. While it was traditionally thought that only aerobic exercise
could lower blood pressure, research has been presented in recent years showing that specific isometric exercises involving adequate rest time and monitored exertion may be effective as well.

The mechanisms by which exercise lowers blood pressure are not definitively known; however, there are several well respected hypotheses. There is evidence to indicate that the blood pressure reductions associated with exercise could be due to reduced sympathetic nervous system activity, improved endothelium mediated vasodilatation, changes in the baroreflex, and/or reductions in blood volume. The actual mechanism could prove to be a combination of factors and may even vary depending on lifestyle and genetics.

Please check with your physician before beginning any exercise programs.

For more information, visit:

The Seventh Report of the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure. JAMA. 2003;42:1206. Available from http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/hypertension/jnc7full.pdf. Accessed June 8, 2009.

Moiser R. Blood Pressure: Your Body’s Warning Lights. Hooah 4 Health website by the Army National Guard and the Office of the Chief, Army Reserve. Updated September 2004. Available at: http://www.hooah4health.com/body/fitness/warninglights.htm. Accessed June 8, 2009.

M.A. van Baak. Exercise and hypertension: facts and uncertainties. Br. J. Sports Med. 1998;32;6-10. doi:10.1136/bjsm.32.1.6. Available at: http://bjsm.bmj.com/cgi/reprint/32/1/6. Accessed June 8, 2008.