This Is the Best Type of Exercise for Improving Blood Pressure - Sports Cardiologist

Dr. Benjamin Levine has demonstrated that the right exercise regimen can reverse up to 20 years of heart aging, even in those who have been sedentary for most of their lives. As one of the world's foremost experts on how the heart adapts in various conditions—ranging from exercise and elite athleticism to prolonged bedrest—Dr. Levine's insights are groundbreaking.

In this video, he discusses:

• The best type of exercise for improving blood pressure (and why)
• His thoughts on a 2023 study that demonstrated isometric exercises (ex: planks, wall sits) are most effective for lowering blood pressure
• Can lifestyle strategies actually reverse hypertension?
• His top lifestyle recommendations for lowering blood pressure

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[southeastswell]

did anyone happen to catch what is the best type of exercise for improving blood pressure? I might be going deaf because I didnt hear it

[FireOElijahMC]

I’ve started questioning everything, especially government health advice! After reading "Health and Beauty Mastery", I completely changed my habits. This book reveals so many shocking truths about the health industry!

[theseeker]

One big factor people forget is to reduce stress.
Getting upset or angry or worried about something can increase bp for days.

[liantolinawati]

About 2 years ago my weight is 106 kg blood pressure 130/90. Cut back on carbs and sugar then start walking 5km daily progress to slow jogging. Now I am at 80kg blood pressure 110/70. During all of those I never cut back on salt.

[craigsips]

My blood pressure story: I recently got tested at 95/158 and was told that was bad (I don’t know, I feel pretty good). After looking at my diet I realised the one meal a day I have been doing for three years had been slowly depleting my potassium. I added lots of potatoes to my evening banquet and in 25 hours it shot down and after two days was 65/120 and remained that way.
They tell me magnesium has the same effect. Something to watch.

[gabymalembe]

He says endurance exercise is especially good because it relaxes your blood vessels. Some resistance exercise is also good. He says doctors tend to underestimate the value of reducing alcohol intake. Treat sleep apnea if you have it.

[PorkchopExpression]

Losing weight and exercising didn't affect my blood pressure for some reason. Cutting out sugar and carbs dropped it from 150/95 to 118/78 avg. Might have been the sugar alone, not sure.

[joesmith]

Many years ago, I was a high level competetive swimmer. One of the basic challenges in that sport is balancing leg use vs arm use, based on stroke and event distance. I always assumed it was just about blood supply. This makes me think it was as much about localized bp. Interesting.

[malibuman]

I wonder if one of the reasons that isometric exercise improves blood pressure, is that people tend to hold their breath... and that increases blood pressure followed by a bigger release. That it's more to do with breathing than the exercise?

[sirwalksoftly]

Thank you for this video. Get adequate potassium, do consistent bouts of cardio (probably Zone 2 but get HIIT added in), reduce salt because you might be sensitive to it, get strength component weights or bodyweight, adequate sleep (7-9 hours around same time every night).

[luddity]

Swimming would be my best guess, but long walks in nature would probably also help a lot.

[osmanniazi]

Try a 5 day water fast. See your blood pressure plummet... I went from 150/90 to 107/69 in 5 days. Now 120/70 about a month later. Reversed Diabetes a decade and a half ago with low carb low cal.

[ptimal]

I've been tracking mine closely for a month. 2 dif monitors. So far, what I've notice most negatively influence it are fear/anxiety/stress, nicotine, and sleep. And possibly excess carbs. Salt is still to be determined. BP was quite stable and in the optimal range for a good stretch, then one day while testing i get a bit startled and had a rush of social anxiety type fear, and the reading was much higher than any previous reading. It stayed elevated for 2 hours, then gradually back to normal. Then one day recently, i wake up, test, and its much much higher than any time over the past month. I noticed i felt rough and groggier than usual, and look not so hot, so i figure i had a bad night sleep. Possibly apnea related idk. Felt like i slept like a log, but something happened between dinner and waking the next morning. I did overeat carbs before bed. Pasta, oats.

Nicotine spikes it approx 10 points dys and sys, but its not cumulative it doesn't keep adding 10 points every time. Coffee doesn't "seem" to have a big influence on my bp, but that may change w excess consumption, we'll see. Still tracking trying to determine what's best. I often have high bp, but I really suspect it's only the case when certain things occur. Because i can keep it in a great range for long periods of time, with zero meds.

[adamyates]

It was definitely implied that "regular sustained endurance activity" reduces BP

[jasonmaguire]

Cutting carbs and doing circuit training got my BP down. In fact going keto brings it down very quickly.

[newyorkguy]

Should systolic pressure be 120 or less for everyone? I am mid-70's. BP is 124/76. Last couple of years my systolic has
been creeping up. Previously, low 100's to 117. Should I be concerned? My doctor doesn't seemed concerned at all. But I am.

[craigsips]

One day I’ll start a yt channel and focus on answering the question in the thumbnail in 5 seconds. It will have thousands of videos with tens of thousands of views and be wildly successful!
I am not going to do that.

[billb]

So is the bottom line that adding arm exercise to legs is net beneficial?
NordicTrack used to claim that their XC ski machines were better than bikes and treadmills.
In Sweden, people walk with trekking poles for better cardio workouts.

[getchrismo]

Static holds make sense. Hans Selye stress response and adaptation describes it very well.

[lawrenceweinzimer]

These precepts definitely keep Blood Pressure at bay. Need to watch any irregularities like Mitral or other valve impediments or clogged arteries which might exist.