The 8 Weeks Exercise plan to Lower High Blood Pressure helps you to achieve your goals. Exercising is one of the best things to do to lower your high blood pressure.
Maintaining a normal and healthy weight is important for controlling blood pressure. Studies monitoring the effects of weight loss on blood pressure have shown that for every 5 kg of additional weight loss, systolic blood pressure decreases by 2 to 10 points.
Regular exercising helps make your heart stronger and more efficient at pumping blood, which lowers the pressure in the arteries.
In fact, 150 minutes of moderate exercise, such as walking just 30 minutes, or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise, such as running, per week can help lower blood pressure and improve your heart health. Plus, more exercise helps reduce it even more, according to the National Walkers Health Study. 1 2 3
Your heart is a muscle and like all other muscles in your body, it must be exercised to become stronger and more efficient. Of course, in addition to lowering blood pressure, there are many other health benefits that come from regular physical activity.
Benefits of sticking to a regular exercise program
- Increases the sex drive
- Controls the weight
- Improves mental health and mood
- Improves the memory
- Boosts energy level
- Lowers the blood sugar (thereby reducing your risk for type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome)
- Lowers the risk of certain cancers (such as breast cancer and colon cancer)
- Strengthens the bones and muscles
Of course, the above list is not exhaustive. But hopefully this will give you enough reason to leave your sedentary lifestyle behind and become an active and happy person!
Important points before starting 8 Weeks’ Exercise Plan to Lower High Blood Pressure
Before starting this 8-week exercise program to lower high blood pressure, it is important to keep the following points in mind:
- Start slowly and progress slowly. Reaching your goal takes time and the key to healthy exercise is persistence and routine.
- Exercising daily (instead of three or four times a week) has a huge impact on your blood pressure. This is because people with high blood pressure will experience a drop in blood pressure for about 7 to 8 hours after exercising. In the long run, regular exercise will have a huge and long-term impact on your blood pressure and health.
- Aerobic exercise (such as walking, running, swimming, cycling, tennis, etc.) has a much greater effect on your blood pressure than anaerobic exercise (such as lifting heavy weights). Regular aerobic exercise can lower your blood pressure by up to 10 mm over time and help you get off blood pressure medications.
- Engaging in a program that includes aerobic, anaerobic and stretching exercises is undoubtedly the best form of exercise – it will not only lower your blood pressure, but also strengthen your muscles.
Note: Note that if you haven’t exercised for a few years, it’s important to consult with your doctor before jumping straight into an exercise routine. Be sure to clear any new exercise program with the doctor. If you are 40 years of age or older, you should first undergo a physical examination to determine your current physical condition. It will ultimately determine the type of exercise program that fits your current fitness level, and it will help you avoid any potential injuries.
You may be unsure about how to gradually increase your exercise goals. Here’s a sample 8-week exercise program to start exercising with lots of motivation to lower high blood pressure!
Beginners’ 8 Week Exercise plan to Lower High Blood Pressure
| Weeks | Exercises | Days |
|---|---|---|
| Week-1 | Brisk walking or Other aerobic exercise (20 minutes) | 2 |
| Weight training (1 session) | ||
| Week-2 | Brisk walking or Other aerobic exercise (20 to 30 minutes) | 3 |
| Weight training (2 sessions) | ||
| Week-3 | Brisk walking or Other aerobic exercise (30 minutes) | 4 |
| Weight training (2 sessions) | ||
| Week-4 | Brisk walking or Other aerobic exercise (30 minutes) | 4 |
| Weight training (3 sessions) | ||
| Week-5 | Brisk walking or Other aerobic exercise (30 minutes) | 5 |
| Weight training (3 sessions) | ||
| Week-6 | Brisk walking or Other aerobic exercise (30 to 45 minutes) | 5 |
| Weight training (3 sessions) | ||
| Week-7 | Brisk walking or Other aerobic exercise (30 to 45 minutes) | 6 |
| Weight training (3 sessions) | ||
| Week-8 | Brisk walking or Other aerobic exercise (45 to 60 minutes) | 5 |
| Weight training (3 sessions) |
Aerobic exercise (cardiovascular exercise): Helps to lower your blood pressure and strengthen your heart.
Anaerobic exercise (strength training): Good for your bones and joints and helps you build stronger muscles that burn more calories throughout the day.
Stretching exercises: Help prevent injury and make you more flexible.
Strength Training, Stretching or Cardio (optional)
| Exercise | Time |
|---|---|
| Mountain climbers | 50 seconds |
| Rest | 10 seconds |
| Plank or Push-ups | 50 seconds |
| Rest | 10 seconds |
| Bicycle crunches | 50 seconds |
| Rest | 10 seconds |
| Burpees or Jumping jacks | 50 seconds |
| Rest | 10 seconds |
| Wall sit or Squats | 50 seconds |
| Rest | 10 seconds |
1. Repeat this 5 times.
2. The 30-minute at-home strength training workout of moderate intensity, all you need is a yoga mat and motivation. You can gradually add weight to increase the intensity.
8 Week Exercise plan to Lower High Blood Pressure
The following is an 8-week complete exercise program to lower high blood pressure (hypertension). It’s important to note that speed shouldn’t be the goal – steady progress is key. Walk for at least 3 minutes before and after, listen to your whole body and most importantly, have fun!
Week-1 exercise plan
| Days | Exercises | Times |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Run Walk | 2 minutes 2 minutes (repeat 5 times) |
| Tuesday | Brisk walking | 25 minutes |
| Wednesday | Run Walk | 2 minutes 2 minutes (repeat 5 times) |
| Thursday | Brisk walking | 25 minutes |
| Friday | Strength Training | 30 minutes |
| Saturday | Off day | |
| Sunday | Off day |
Week-2 exercise plan
| Days | Exercises | Times |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Run Walk | 3 minutes 2 minutes (repeat 5 times) |
| Tuesday | Brisk walking | 30 minutes |
| Wednesday | Run Walk | 3 minutes 3 minutes (repeat 5 times) |
| Thursday | Brisk walking | 30 minutes |
| Friday | Strength Training | 30 minutes |
| Saturday | Stretching/yoga | 20 minutes |
| Sunday | Off day |
Week-3 exercise plan
| Days | Exercises | Times |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Run Walk | 4 minutes 2 minutes (repeat 5 times) |
| Tuesday | Brisk walking | 30 minutes |
| Wednesday | Run Walk | 4 minutes 3 minutes (repeat 5 times) |
| Thursday | Brisk walking | 30 minutes |
| Friday | Strength Training | 30 to 45 minutes |
| Saturday | Stretching/yoga | 30 minutes |
| Sunday | Off day |
Week-4 exercise plan
| Days | Exercises | Times |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Run Walk | 5 minutes 1 minutes (repeat 5 times) |
| Tuesday | Brisk walking | 30 minutes |
| Wednesday | Run Walk | 10 minutes 5 minutes (repeat 2 times) |
| Thursday | Brisk walking | 30 minutes |
| Friday | Strength Training | 30 to 45 minutes |
| Saturday | Stretching/yoga | 30 minutes |
| Sunday | Off day |
Week-5 exercise plan
| Days | Exercises | Times |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Run Walk | 8 minutes 2 minutes (repeat 3 times) |
| Tuesday | Brisk walking | 30 minutes |
| Wednesday | Run Walk | 12 minutes 3 minutes (repeat 2 times) |
| Thursday | Brisk walking | 30 minutes |
| Friday | Strength Training | 30 to 45 minutes |
| Saturday | Stretching/yoga | 30 minutes |
| Sunday | Off day |
Week-6 exercise plan
| Days | Exercises | Times |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Run Walk | 15 minutes 2 minutes (repeat 2 times) |
| Tuesday | Brisk walking | 30 minutes |
| Wednesday | Run Walk | 15 minutes 2 minutes (repeat 2 times) |
| Thursday | Brisk walking | 30 minutes |
| Friday | Strength Training | 30 to 60 minutes |
| Saturday | Stretching/yoga | 30 to 60 minutes |
| Sunday | Off day |
Week-7 exercise plan
| Days | Exercises | Times |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Run Walk | 15 minutes 1 minutes (repeat 2 times) |
| Tuesday | Brisk walking | 30 minutes |
| Wednesday | Run Walk Run | 10 minutes 2 minutes 20 minutes |
| Thursday | Strength training | 30 to 60 minutes |
| Friday | Run Walk Run | 10 minutes 2 minutes 20 minutes |
| Saturday | Brisk walking | 30 minutes |
| Sunday | Stretching/yoga | 30 to 60 minutes |
Week-8 exercise plan
| Days | Exercises | Times |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Run Walk | 26 minutes 4 minutes (repeat 1 times) |
| Tuesday | Brisk walking | 30 minutes |
| Wednesday | Run Walk | 28 minutes 2 minutes (repeat 1 times) |
| Thursday | Strength training | 30 to 60 minutes |
| Friday | Run | 30 minutes (repeat 1 times) |
| Saturday | Brisk walking | 30 minutes |
| Sunday | Stretching/yoga | 30 to 60 minutes |
Walking the path to lowering high blood pressure (hypertension)
Don’t worry if you can’t run, don’t like running or prefer to start with moderate exercise.
A study conducted by the Division of Life Sciences at the Lawrence Berkeley Natural Laboratory in Berkeley, California, showed that moderate walking reduces the risk of developing high blood pressure, high cholesterol level and diabetes mellitus as much as running. The same energy used for vigorous and moderate exercise produces similar reductions. So the more you walk or run every week, the more health benefits you will get.
These findings are in line with the recommendation of the American Heart Association that recommends getting at least 30 minutes of exercise per day. So to reap the health benefits from exercise, you should engage in at least 150 minutes of moderate activity or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise per week.
Remember that 30 minutes of physical activity per day should be a minimum. In the long run, this will make a huge difference in improving your blood pressure and general health. An alternative to brisk walking for 30 minutes is to walk 10,000 steps a day. Use a pedometer and keep track of your daily step count. By the time you reach 10,000, you should aim to increase your number of steps by 500 per day!
Motivated and Active Tips
- Exercise at the same time every day so that exercise becomes a part of your regular routine.
- Always wear comfortable clothes while exercising.
- Record your blood pressure before and after exercising. This allows you to really see and understand the rigorous benefits of exercise on lowering your blood pressure.
- Set Realistic Goals – Start small and think big!
- Change exercises every day (running, walking, strength training, stretching and alternating between different cardiovascular exercises). Exercise with a friend or join a club.
So in short, it’s important to remember that any type of physical activity, even low-intensity exercise such as walking, can lower your blood pressure in the long run. Always remember to get at least 30 minutes of regular physical activity a day. The health benefits of exercise are substantial and undoubtedly well worth the effort!
- Cornelissen VA, Smart NA. Exercise training for blood pressure: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Am Heart Assoc. 2013 Feb 1;2(1):e004473. doi: 10.1161/JAHA.112.004473. PMID: 23525435; PMCID: PMC3603230.[↩]
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- Williams PT, Thompson PD. Walking versus running for hypertension, cholesterol, and diabetes mellitus risk reduction. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2013 May;33(5):1085-91. doi: 10.1161/ATVBAHA.112.300878. Epub 2013 Apr 4. PMID: 23559628; PMCID: PMC4067492.[↩]
