High blood pressure can be reduced in overweight, diabetic patients by short and easy exercise breaks: study

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According to a new study presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2015, light physical activities like walking and simple resistance activities done even for short bouts can lower the blood pressure for obese or overweight adults with Type 2 diabetes.

"It appears you don't have to do very much," said co-author Bronwyn Kingwell, Ph.D., head of Metabolic and Vascular Physiology at the Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes in Melbourne, Australia. "We saw some marked blood pressure reductions over trial days when people did the equivalent of walking to the water cooler or some simple body-weight movements on the spot."

The researchers found out that among the participants who did light-intensity walking, like a slow and easy stroll on a treadmill, registered an average 10-point drop in systolic blood pressure (the top number in a blood pressure reading); while those who were into simple resistance activities, such as half-squats, calf raises, knee raises, or gluteal muscle squeezes, posted an average 12-point drop in systolic blood pressure, according to a EurekAlert public release from the American Heart Association.

This study, which involves 24 obese and overweight male and female participants with an average age of 62 years old, was the first of its kind to examine the effects of short intermittent bouts of light physical activity on Type 2 diabetes patients in a controlled lab setting.

The blood pressure and blood norepinephrine levels of the participants were monitored at regular intervals during the day as they sit for eight hours, and when they took either 3-minute walking breaks averaging a speed about 2 miles per hour (mph) or did 3-minutes of simple resistance exercises every half-hour, US News Health also wrote.

Kingwell, however, was also quick to add that these short and easy exercises should not be taken as a substitute to regular and more vigorous fitness exercise. These are just ways to have the much-needed interruption of all-day sitting.

"Light activity breaks are not meant to replace regular, purposeful exercise. But they may be a practical solution to cut down sitting time, especially if you're at your desk all day," Kingwell said.

The American Heart Association recommends close to 2 hours, at the very least, of moderate exercise like walking around 3 mph each week, or at least 75 minutes of vigorous exercise each week such as running at around 5 mph, or a combination of both.