5 minutes of exercise each day could lower blood pressure

Findings show importance of activities that raise heart rate for blood pressure control
Findings show the importance of activities that raise heart rate for blood pressure control.

Recent research indicates that incorporating small amounts of physical activity, such as walking uphill or climbing stairs, can help reduce blood pressure.

Research suggests that just five minutes of activity each day could potentially lower blood pressure. Additionally, replacing sedentary behaviour with 20 to 27 minutes of exercise daily—such as uphill walking, stair climbing, running, or cycling—can significantly reduce blood pressure clinically.

Joint senior author Professor Emmanuel Stamatakis, Director of the ProPASS Consortium at the Charles Perkins Centre, stated, “High blood pressure is one of the most significant health issues globally. Unlike some major causes of cardiovascular mortality, there are potentially accessible methods to address this problem beyond just medication.”

Finding that just five extra minutes of exercise daily can lead to significantly lower blood pressure readings highlights the effectiveness of short, intense bouts of physical activity for managing blood pressure.

Hypertension, or consistently high blood pressure, is one of the leading causes of premature death worldwide. It affects 1.28 billion adults and can lead to serious health issues such as stroke, heart attack, heart failure, and kidney damage. Often referred to as the “silent killer,” hypertension typically presents no symptoms, making it especially dangerous.

The research team analysed health data from 14,761 volunteers in five countries to see how replacing one type of movement behaviour with another across the day is associated with blood pressure.  

Each participant used a wearable accelerometer device on their thigh to measure their activity and blood pressure day and night.  

Daily activity was split into six categories: sleep, sedentary behaviour (such as sitting), slow walking, fast walking, standing, and vigorous exercise such as running, cycling or stair climbing. 

The team statistically modelled what would happen if an individual changed various amounts of one behaviour for another to estimate the effect on blood pressure for each scenario and found that replacing sedentary behaviour with 20-27 minutes of exercise per day could potentially reduce cardiovascular disease by up to 28 per cent at a population level.  

Dr. Jo Blodgett, the lead author from the Division of Surgery and Interventional Science at UCL and the Institute of Sport, Exercise, and Health, stated, “Our findings suggest that for most people, engaging in exercise is more effective for reducing blood pressure than opting for less strenuous forms of movement, like walking.”

“The good news is that whatever your physical ability, it doesn’t take long to have a positive effect on blood pressure. What’s unique about our exercise variable is that it includes all exercise-like activities, from running for a bus or a short cycling errand, many of which can be integrated into daily routines.  

“For those who don’t do a lot of exercise, walking still has some positive benefits for blood pressure. But if you want to change your blood pressure, putting more demand on the cardiovascular system through exercise will have the greatest effect.” 

Cycling with Fibromyalgia – Motivation for Today




 

Cycling and fibro

Cycling and fibro




From the maker of this great video

“Today I decided to ignore my headache, take a pill, and get on my bike. My goal was to beat my record of 24 miles. I did 25 miles. I’m pretty excited about that. My reasoning by getting out and exercising while in pain is “I can be in pain in bed or I can be in pain doing something I love.” I want to encourage you to get out there and do whatever it is you want to do regardless of your circumstances. Don’t let anyone tell you, you can’t, not even yourself. Stop making excuses for why you shouldn’t do something and use those same reasons as stepping stones to help you achieve your dreams. Life is short and it’s best lived to the fullest. I want to encourage you and motivate you to think big and do big things. You can do it! You are capable of doing it. You are awesome! You are enough! You are worthy! You are special!@




Why you should ride to work or school on a bike?

Full disclosure! I’m a born again cyclist. I was told by my doctor to lose weight a couple of years ago and took up cycling.

In the last two years I’ve lost pounds , got fitter and seen loads of places I’d never thought I’d go.

Next month I’m riding down the Rhine with a old college buddy.

So check out the benefits and join us!

Bike to Work Week
Via FitnessforWeightLoss.com




Doing my bit! A couple of charities you might consider supporting.


Cycling for charity

Cycling for charity

By the time you read this I should be in bed asleep!

Why? I hear you cry!

Well, if all goes according to plan I will have just completed a 100k cycle ride around London. Called Nightrider which should increase the pulse of those of us born in the 80s. Yes I know a different spelling but who cares!

This year I am raising money for a UK based charity called Refuge which helps the victims of domestic violence. You can make a small donation here.

In previous years I have also cycled for the autism charity Dimensions UK. One of the reasons I like these guys very much is that they organise film showing at cinemas especially for families where a member is on the autistic spectrum. As the father of a son with autism I can tell you that they deserve your money. So please give them something here.

Thanks for listening and thanks very much for donating!


What are your New Year’s Resolution for 2015?


New Year's Resolutions

New Year’s Resolutions

Yes it is THAT time again.

Half way through the eating and drinking too much time of the year our thoughts should (and sometimes even mine do) turn to getting more healthy in the New Year.

There is plenty of useful advice out there like this interview we conducted with Pete Cohen looking at weight loss, sensible drinking and getting fitter with better exercise.

But I was wondering what New year’s resolutions have you made for 2015? It would be great if you could share yours in the comments section below. This will, hopefully, give inspiration for other people reading the post.

So I thought I would share by kicking off with a few of my own.

a) Lose weight, 20lb in my case over the year. Here are a few tips that may help.

b) Cycle 180 miles coast to coast across the Pennines. You can check the route here

c) Have a dry January. Sounds boring but it works really well for me.

d) Be able to run 5K without a break by the end of the summer.

e) Eat at least one portion of leafy green vegetables each day!

That’s my list. So what’s yours? Please share below.

Thanks and good luck.