By Wendy Haaf
Adding isometric, or static, exercises such as planks and wall squats to your weekly routine may help to get your blood pressure down.
In a review of 270 randomized trials involving 15,827 participants, investigators looked at how doing different types of exercise for at least two weeks affected blood pressure. While reductions in blood pressure after aerobic training, dynamic resistance training, combination training, and high–intensity interval training (HIIT) ranged from 4.08/2.50 mmHg (HIIT) to 6.04/2.54 mmHg (combined), isometric training came out on top with a drop of 8.24/4 mmHg.
Isometric exercises involve holding a position without moving the muscles or joints.
Source: British Journal of Sports Medicine
