Regular wall squats just once or twice a week can help keep blood pressure at a healthy level, scientists have found. The website infohub.kz reports this.
The results of a study by a group of British specialists led by Harry Swift have been published in the scientific journal BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine. The authors proved that even infrequent isometric training can preserve an achieved reduction in systolic blood pressure.
The study involved 100 adult volunteers with an average age of 37.4 years. They did not have hypertension, but their blood pressure readings ranged from normal to high-normal — 120–140 mmHg. During the first four weeks, four groups of participants performed isometric wall squats at home three times a week. Each session included four sets with two-minute rest periods between them. The control group did no exercise.
In the second stage, the participants were divided into different maintenance schedules. After eight weeks, training once or twice a week helped maintain a sustained reduction in systolic blood pressure: readings fell by an average of 6.56 and 6.95 mmHg respectively. The most pronounced effect was seen in those who continued exercising three times a week: their systolic blood pressure fell by an average of 13.73 mmHg, and measures of vascular resistance and heart rate variability also improved.
In participants who stopped exercising entirely after the first month, blood pressure readings returned to the level of the control group. The authors stress that isometric exercise is an accessible and convenient preventive tool for people with limited free time.