Morning walk can lower levels
Walking during day JUST 30 minutes of exercise a day may be as effective as drugs at lowering blood pressure, a study has found.
Walking on a treadmill in the morning reduced participants’ levels for the rest of the day.
Overweight and obese men and women aged 55-80 took part in three plans, with varied amounts of sitting and walking.
The plan that lowered blood pressure the most involved an hour of sitting then 30 minutes of treadmill walking. It was followed by 6.5 hours of sitting, interrupted every half hour with three minutes of walking.
The 67 participants ate the same meals for the laboratory study. Blood pressure was lower in those who exercised than in those who did not. Women in particular saw extra benefits from three-minute walks, but researchers are not sure why.
Lead author Michael Wheeler, of University of Western Australia, Perth, said: “The magnitude of reduction in blood pressure approached what might be expected from antihypertensive medication.” Chris Allen, of the British Heart Foundation, said: “A huge body of evidence shows regular physical activity can help lower blood pressure and reduce risk of heart attacks and strokes.” ■ A large (200g) helping of blueberries a day can improve blood pressure in healthy people, found King’s College London.