Need to Lower Your Blood Pressure? Planks and Wall Sits Are Most Effective, Says New Study
No one likes doing plank exercises. You could probably even add wall sits to that list, too. However, according to new research, they may become a necessary evil and play a significant role in your workout plan and daily exercise schedule.
Researchers at Canterbury Christ Church and Leicester universities compared the efficacy of different forms of exercise on reducing blood pressure and found that isometric exercises were twice as effective compared with government exercise guidelines.
What Are Isometric Exercises?
An isometric exercise is any type of exercise that holds the body in one position. During the movement, the muscles contract but do not change in length. Simply put, isometric exercises recruit muscles and exert tension without lengthening (eccentric contraction) or shortening (concentric contraction) the muscle.
Examples of Isometric Exercises:
Low squat
Isometric Exercises and Blood Pressure
Reducing systolic blood pressure is associated with decreased incidence of cardiovascular diseases, such as stroke and heart failure. Current government and NHS guidelines recommend that adults should do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise every week – think cycling, light jogging or fast walking. There’s no mention of newer forms of exercise like high intensity interval training (HIIT) and isometric exercises.
But that could all be about to change.
Published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, the study examined 270 randomised controlled clinical trials, involving 15,827 participants, and evaluated the effects of specific forms of exercise on resting blood pressure. The results showed that while significant reductions in resting systolic and diastolic blood pressure occurred after all exercise types, it was specifically isometric exercises that were most effective.
According to Jamie O’Driscoll, a reader in cardiovascular physiology at Canterbury Christ Church University and senior author of the report, this reduction in blood pressure could be down to the static contraction of the muscles that squeeze the vessels that supply blood to the working muscles. That reduces the flow of blood to the muscle during exercise and therefore oxygen supply to the muscle. When the muscles relax afterwards, it causes a large flow of blood through the vessels, triggering greater improvements in blood flow regulation.
Isometric Exercises – Easier Said Than Done?
While O’Driscoll recommends performing 4x2 minutes of wall sits, with two-minutes’ rest in between, three times a week, alongside other forms of exercise, it’s worth acknowledging that isometric exercises, specifically wall sits and planks aren’t easy to do.
Those who are new to exercise, have an injury, are overweight or are of the older generation, may find these exercises too taxing and it could have the opposite effect if they don’t enjoy doing them. Exercise needs to be engaging and accessible – only then will people commit to doing it every week.
Want to get better at isometric exercises? You can follow our advice here.
You Might Also Like
