Stretching to lower high blood pressure

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Extract from the article: Brisk walking is recommended in cases of high blood pressure in order to lower it. But a scientific study published in January 2021 in the « Journal of Physical Activity and Health » shows that stretching is as good as or

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Brisk walking is recommended in cases of high blood pressure in order to lower it. But a scientific study published in January 2021 in the « Journal of Physical Activity and Health » shows that stretching is as good as or better than brisk walking.  The study, conducted by the University of Saskatchewan (Canada), suggests adding stretching to the management of patients with high blood pressure, in addition to or instead of walking.

According to the researchers, everyone thinks that stretching is simply stretching the muscles. But when you stretch the muscles, you also stretch all the blood vessels that supply the muscle, including all the arteries. If you reduce the stiffness of the arteries, there is less resistance to blood flow. Resistance to blood flow increases blood pressure, which leads to cardiovascular risk.

The stretching routine leads to greater reductions in blood pressure than brisk walking. Walkers lose more body fat around the waist than stretching participants. Therefore, hypertensive people who are used to walking should continue to do so, but add some stretching for added benefit.

This study indicates that flexibility training is superior to strength training or combined strength and aerobic training in improving arterial health. Stretching is an easy exercise to incorporate into your daily routine. Stretching is easy to incorporate into your daily routine and is gentle on your joints, which is good for osteoarthritis.

William O.