A wall-based exercise may help keep blood pressure lower

A straightforward exercise that does not require equipment and can be done at home may help people keep blood pressure lower, even when they are unable to exercise several times a week, according to a new study.

The move is a wall squat, which involves leaning back against a wall and lowering the body into a seated position while holding still. Researchers say this type of workout may provide cardiovascular benefits without the need for a long exercise session.

A study published in BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine looked at whether people could preserve blood pressure improvements by doing wall squats less often. The researchers found that one or two sessions a week helped maintain some benefits in the short term, although three weekly sessions led to larger reductions.

Here is what the study found and how the routine was carried out.

How the study was conducted

The researchers examined 100 adults with an average age of 37.4. Participants had systolic blood pressure between 120 and 140 mmHg and did not regularly take part in structured exercise programs. None had been diagnosed with hypertension.

During the first four weeks, people in the exercise groups completed four wall-squat holds per session, with two minutes of rest between holds. They did this routine three times a week.

Over the next four weeks, participants either kept exercising three times a week, reduced their sessions to twice or once weekly, or stopped altogether.

Once or twice weekly exercise helped preserve gains

After the first four weeks, the exercise groups showed better blood pressure readings than the control group.

By the end of the eight-week study, those who exercised once or twice a week had kept significant reductions in systolic blood pressure, which is the pressure in the arteries when the heart contracts.

The group that continued three times a week saw the biggest drop, with systolic blood pressure falling by an average of 13.73 mmHg from the start of the study.

The twice-weekly group had an average reduction of 6.95 mmHg, while the once-weekly group had an average reduction of 6.56 mmHg.

Neither the once-weekly nor the twice-weekly group kept a statistically significant improvement in diastolic blood pressure, which measures the pressure in the arteries between heartbeats.

Participants who stopped exercising lost their earlier gains. By the end of the study, their blood pressure readings were no longer significantly different from those of the control group.

What is isometric exercise?

Wall squats are a form of isometric exercise, which means the muscles contract while the body holds a fixed position rather than moving repeatedly. Planks and handgrip exercises are other examples.

Earlier research has connected isometric exercise with lower blood pressure. These findings suggest that even people who cannot keep up a frequent workout routine may still preserve some benefits by continuing to exercise.

Still, the maintenance phase in this study lasted only four weeks. More research is needed to see whether less frequent exercise can sustain improvements over months or years.

People with high blood pressure should speak with a health care professional about the right exercise plan. Researchers noted that wall squats should not replace prescribed medication or other recommended treatment.