New research led by experts from the University of Sydney and University College London has found that even a brief amount of physical activity—just five minutes per day—could significantly reduce blood pressure. Published on Thursday, the study indicates that adding daily activities like walking uphill or climbing stairs may play an impactful role in blood pressure management.
The study, conducted by the Prospective Physical Activity, Sitting, and Sleep (ProPASS) Consortium, examined how short bursts of movement can improve cardiovascular health. It suggests that swapping sedentary habits for only 20 to 27 minutes of exercise each day has a clinically relevant effect on blood pressure. According to Emmanuel Stamatakis, director of the ProPASS Consortium and joint senior author from the University of Sydney, “High blood pressure is one of the biggest health issues globally, but unlike some major causes of cardiovascular mortality, there may be relatively accessible ways to tackle the problem in addition to medication.”
Through an analysis of 14,761 volunteer data, the researchers found that minor daily changes, such as reducing time spent sitting, may yield substantial health benefits. The team projected that replacing prolonged inactivity with about 20 minutes of exercise each day could decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease by up to 28 percent.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported that 1.28 billion people worldwide aged 30 to 79 suffer from hypertension, defined as consistently high blood pressure, and nearly 46 percent of those affected are unaware of their condition.
