Does Exercise Lower Blood Pressure? What the Sources Say

Yes. Studies have shown that physical activity can help lower and control high blood pressure levels, according to NHLBI: High Blood Pressure Treatment. The same page says even a small amount of physical activity may help, like walking for 10 minutes each day, and that reducing the amount of time you sit each day can also help you achieve your blood pressure goal. It also says to ask your provider what level of activity is right for you before starting any exercise program.

Moderate activity, such as brisk walking or swimming, can lower high blood pressure, says the National Institute on Aging: High Blood Pressure and Older Adults. Regular physical activity can lower your blood pressure and reduce your chances of other health problems, says NIDDK: High Blood Pressure and Kidney Disease.

The kidney disease page lists not being physically active among unhealthy habits that can increase your risk of high blood pressure, next to eating too much sodium (salt) and drinking too many alcoholic beverages. A 2004 physical activity fact sheet kept on this site, titled "Move to Prevent and Control High Blood Pressure: Mission Possible," says: "If you don’t have high blood pressure, being physically active can help keep it that way."

How much activity do the sources give for blood pressure?

Four of the pages cited in this guide attach a number of minutes to activity for blood pressure, and so does the archived fact sheet. The table gives each figure in the page's own wording.

The arithmetic below converts each row to minutes in a week, using only the figures in the table.

1. Aging institute page: 2.5 hours × 60 minutes = 150 minutes in a week.
2. MedlinePlus entry, 3 days: 40 minutes × 3 = 120 minutes in a week.
3. MedlinePlus entry, 4 days: 40 minutes × 4 = 160 minutes in a week. The entry's stated aim is at least 150 minutes per week.
4. Kidney disease page: 150 minutes ÷ 10 minutes = 15 segments of 10 minutes in a week.
5. Archived fact sheet: 30 minutes × 7 days = 210 minutes in a week.
6. Treatment page example: 10 minutes × 7 days = 70 minutes in a week.

The kidney disease page says you can count each 10-minute segment of activity toward your physical activity goal. The archived fact sheet answers a question about a busy schedule this way: "Try breaking up your 30 minutes of activity throughout the day."

The fact sheet and the two archived booklets linked below each carry this site's note: "Reproduced as archived reference, not current guidance." The treatment page states that it was last updated on April 30, 2024.

Which kinds of activity do the sources name?

The kidney disease page names aerobic activities: biking, swimming, brisk walking, wheeling yourself in a wheelchair, and activities that will support you such as chair aerobics. It says these activities make your heart beat faster and may cause you to breathe harder. It adds that biking is one type of moderate-intensity exercise that can help lower your blood pressure and weight.

The aging institute's examples of moderate activity are brisk walking and swimming, and the treatment page's example is walking for 10 minutes each day. The MedlinePlus entry's wording is "moderate to vigorous aerobic exercise."

The 2004 fact sheet prints a list headed "Activities for moderate exercise." Its entries include "Brisk walking (3-4 miles per hour)," "Gardening," "Dancing," "Swimming (with moderate effort)" and "Cycling (at a moderate speed of 10 miles per hour or less)."

A June 2006 booklet archived here, Physical Activity and Your Heart, says regular physical activity may reduce LDL (bad) cholesterol, increase HDL (good) cholesterol, and lower high blood pressure. It gives brisk walking as an example of a heart healthy activity. It then adds bicycling, gardening, or yard work, as long as they’re done at a brisk pace.

Who should check with a provider before starting?

The aging institute's page says to check with your doctor before starting an exercise plan if you have any health problems that aren't being treated. The kidney disease page says that if you have concerns, a health care professional can provide information about how much and what kinds of activity are safe for you.

If you have a heart problem or a chronic (ongoing) disease, such as heart disease, diabetes, or high blood pressure, ask your doctor what types of physical activity are safe for you. That instruction is on NHLBI: Physical Activity and Your Heart, Risks. The same page says to talk with your doctor if you have symptoms such as chest pain or dizziness during physical activity.

In general, that page says, the benefits of regular physical activity far outweigh risks to the heart and lungs, and rarely do heart problems occur because of physical activity. It also says middle-aged and older adults who have coronary heart disease are more likely to have a heart attack when they're exercising vigorously than when they're not.

The 2006 booklet has a section headed "Taking Precautions," which says some people should get medical advice before starting, or significantly increasing, physical activity. Its list says to check with your doctor first if you are over 50 years old and not used to moderately energetic activity, if you currently have a heart condition, have developed chest pain within the last month, or have had a heart attack, if you tend to easily lose your balance or become dizzy, or if you feel extremely breathless after mild exertion.

This site also keeps the In Brief version of that booklet, which says: "If you are just starting or significantly increasing your physical activity, take proper precautions and check with your doctor first." The 2004 fact sheet prints the question "I am elderly and have difficulty moving. Should I still try to exercise?" and answers: "Yes, but be sure you talk to your doctor first to find out which activities are right for you."

This guide is general education. Which activities and what level are safe for you is a question for your own health care provider.

Where does activity sit among the other steps for blood pressure?

The treatment page says that if you have high blood pressure, your provider may recommend that you adopt a heart-healthy lifestyle to help lower and control it. The steps it prints are: choose heart-healthy foods such as those in the DASH eating plan, avoid or limit alcohol, get regular physical activity, aim for a healthy weight, quit smoking, manage stress, and get enough good-quality sleep. This guide does not rank the steps.

On weight, the treatment page says that even losing just 3% to 5% of your weight can improve blood pressure. On eating, the kidney disease page says following a healthy eating plan can help lower your blood pressure, and that reducing the amount of sodium in your diet is an important part of any healthy eating plan.

The MedlinePlus entry places "Exercise regularly" in a list with limiting the amount of sodium (salt) you eat, eating a heart-healthy diet that includes the recommended amounts of potassium and fiber, and staying at a healthy body weight. Its sodium line reads: "Aim for less than 1,500 mg per day."

The treatment page says changing habits can be hard, and it suggests making one change at a time: "Add another change when you feel comfortable with the previous one." The In Brief booklet on this site says high blood pressure can be controlled by getting regular physical activity, losing excess weight, cutting down on alcohol, and changing eating habits, such as using less salt and other forms of sodium.

This site's guide to what blood pressure numbers mean says a healthy systolic pressure is less than 120 mm Hg and a healthy diastolic pressure is less than 80 mm Hg. More pages are listed on the blood pressure topic page.

When is a blood pressure reading or a symptom an emergency?

NHLBI: High Blood Pressure Symptoms says blood pressure above 180/120 "is too high and requires medical attention, especially if you have symptoms." For a reading of 180/120 without symptoms, its instruction is: "wait 5 minutes and check your blood pressure again."

Call 911 if the second measurement is also high and you have any of the symptoms the page lists. In its words: "If the second measurement is also high and if you have any of these symptoms, call 9-1-1". The symptoms are a sudden, severe headache; difficulty breathing; sudden, severe pain in your abdomen, chest, or back; numbness or weakness; a sudden change in vision; and problems talking. The page adds: "Do not wait to see if your pressure comes down on its own."

For a possible heart attack, call 911. NHLBI: Heart Attack Symptoms says: "Call 9-1-1 for emergency medical care, even if you are not sure that you’re having a heart attack." The symptoms it lists include chest pain, heaviness, or discomfort in the center or left side of the chest, and shortness of breath when resting or doing a little bit of physical activity. It also says: "Do not drive to the hospital or let someone else drive you."

For signs of a stroke, call 911. NHLBI: Stroke Symptoms lists sudden confusion, trouble speaking, or trouble understanding speech, and sudden numbness or weakness, especially on one side of the body. Its instruction reads: "If you observe any of these signs, call 9-1-1 right away."

Related archived publications are listed on the physical activity topic page.