Hypertension (HTN) is recognized as the leading attributable risk factor for cardiovascular disease and mortality.

There are many antihypertensive pharmacological treatments on the market. Despite this, there are limitations associated with medication, including adverse effects and the need for daily adherence.

Most, if not all, patients must undergo first-line treatment before being prescribed any medication.

First-line treatment of hypertension includes:

Weight loss
Smoking cessation
Healthy diet
Reduced intake of dietary sodium
Enhanced intake of dietary potassium
Moderation in alcohol consumption
Physical activity

Physical activity guidelines suggest a minimum amount of exercise, but most people don’t get even close to that number, much less strength training.

Strength training can lower your blood pressure to a level comparable to, or even greater than, that achieved with medication.

The best part is that you can do it at home!

How?

Wall squats!

Specifically, isometric training, which involves sustained muscle contraction without a change in muscle length.

Wall squats are an example, but leg extension exercises or hand grip dynamometers are other options.

However, I want to focus on wall squats because, unlike the dynamometer and leg extension, you can do them anywhere. You only need a wall

There's scientific evidence that supports this method as an effective strategy for reducing blood pressure.

Now, how should you do it? (Or if you're a doctor, how should you prescribe it?)

Frequency:
- Three days (3) per week is what most studies have assessed and have shown to be beneficial.
- Aim for 4 series of 2 minutes each with 2 minutes rest in between sets.
Intensity: Aim for 4 series of 2 minutes each, with 2 minutes of rest between sets.
- Intensity is usually prescribed as 95% peak heart rate. However, since you may not know how to calculate this, you can use a subjective scale, aiming for an intensity that feels hard to extremely hard.

Time: 4 sets of 2 minutes, plus 2 minutes of rest between each series, should take about 16 minutes a day. You can start with 30 seconds and work your way up to 2 minutes.

Duration: Do this for at least 4 weeks, and you should see significant changes!

Disclaimer: Please talk to your doctor before engaging in new treatments or interventions.

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Exercise Your Way to Lower Blood Pressure With This Exercise

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