Is Walking Good For Blood Pressure?

Overview

You may have heard that exercising helps reduce blood pressure. However, you might  feel that it  is difficult and you may not know the proper exercises tailored to your needs. Unlike some exercises, walking is not stressful and doesn't need much training or equipment. It is also good for maintaining blood pressure levels. This article describes how walking affects blood pressure and heart disease, as well as how to walk effectively.

What does walking do to your body? 

WHO suggests that adults perform 150–300 minutes of moderate-intensity  aerobic exercises spread over 3–5 days each week. It’s also acceptable to exercise vigorously for 75 minutes each week or to combine both intensities for an equal time. Walking is a great way to meet your requirements and stay physically active. Walking is good for your body. It: 

• Strengthens muscles
• Improves posture and balance
• Reduces body fat
• Improves fitness and endurance

Like any exercise, walking has health benefits. It 

• Reduces the risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, cancer, stroke, and coronary heart disease
• Improves your mental well-being
• Reduces the need for vehicles and lessens road accidents, air, and noise pollution

Walking keeps you fit. But you should consult a doctor if you’re over 40 or if you have a health condition before you start walking.

How does it affect your blood pressure?

Walking as an exercise is one of the lifestyle changes you can do  to manage your blood pressure. Walking is mild, easy, cheap, and safe.¹ It's a good way to start exercising as most people experience shortness of breath, muscle cramps, and fatigue if they start with a vigorous workout. Walking is also good if a health condition doesn’t let you exercise vigorously. Or if you can’t find time to exercise.²

Research shows that walking reduces the blood pressure of hypertensive people (people with a blood pressure of 140/90mmHg or higher). It also helps people already on blood pressure drugs. It reduces the risk of hypertension in people with normal blood pressure (90/60mmHg to 120/80mmHg). It also helps people with high-normal blood pressure or prehypertension (blood pressure = 120/80mmHg – 139/89mmHg) get back to a normal blood pressure level. Prehypertensive people have a high risk of hypertension and are advised to make lifestyle changes. They are not usually given drugs.^1,2,3

Walking reduces systolic blood pressure by 3.01–5.22mmHg and diastolic blood pressure by 1.07–2.51mmHg according to a review of the effects of walking on blood pressure. This reduction is irrespective of age and sex.¹ Walking reduces blood pressure because it:

• Releases beta endorphins. They also reduce pain and make you feel good after a workout. This may increase your adherence to exercise
• Dilates blood vessels by releasing nitric oxide
• Regulates blood volume and the resistance of blood vessels through the renin-angiotensin system^2,4

Walking is not the only lifestyle change you can make to reduce your risk of or manage high blood pressure. Other changes you can make are:

• Eat a healthy diet low in fat and salt
• Reduce weight
• Avoid drinking alcohol
• Don’t smoke
• Perform other exercises

There are also risk factors for hypertension that are beyond your control:

• age above 65 years 
• A history of hypertension
• Diseases like diabetes and kidney disease

Your method of managing your blood pressure should suit your needs. The type, goals, intensity, and potential negative effects of any exercise need to be considered before you embark on it.² Ask your doctor what lifestyle change you can make and if walking is a good option for you.

Can it help reduce heart diseases? 

Hypertension is not a heart disease. But it's a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases (diseases of the heart and blood vessels). These include stroke, heart failure, coronary heart disease, heart attack, peripheral artery disease, and atrial fibrillation. Hypertension also worsens these diseases. 

Because walking reduces blood pressure, it ultimately reduces the risk of heart disease. 

Apart from hypertension, there are other risk factors for heart diseases: a family member with a heart disease, a previous heart disease, diabetes, being overweight or obese, lipid disorders, hyperuricemia, and metabolic syndrome. More than 50% of hypertensive people have one of these as additional risk. So lowering your blood pressure does not eliminate the risk of heart disease.³

Your doctor can evaluate your risk of heart disease and help you prevent them by reducing your blood pressure, treating diseases, or making lifestyle changes. 

How much walking is more effective? 

To reduce your blood pressure, you need to walk with intention. Most studies suggest walking with moderate intensity for 20–40 minutes, 3–5 times a week for 3 months.¹ Brisk walking (100-150 steps per minute) is a form of moderate-intensity walking.^4,5 A brisk walk is faster than a stroll. You can tell that you're walking briskly if you can talk but can’t sing. 

A fast walk (vigorous intensity), done for 75 minutes each week, also to reduce blood pressure.⁴ Strolling (low intensity) is also effective. A 3 km walk completed in 60 minutes, done 5–7 times a week reduces blood pressure.² 

It is important that you don’t exert yourself when walking to reduce blood pressure. Strenuous walking (more than 12000 steps in a day) might harm the body and reduce your adherence to exercising.⁵ Long periods of strenuous exercise cause mental and physical stress and increase blood pressure.² 

The amount of walking you can manage depends on your time, physical fitness, and health status. You can start with a few steps each day even if it doesn't meet the requirements (from 4000-12000 steps a day).⁵  

Ways to make walking more effective

There are a few things that can improve your walking experience and make it enjoyable and effective. (Sources: NHS, betterhealth).

Warm-up and cool down: You need to make warming up and cooling down part of your walk. You can warm up by doing arm, ankle, and pelvic circles, leg swings, and hula-hoop jumps or by starting with a slow walk. Warming up increases your temperature, heart rate and blood flow and improves your walk. You can cool down by stretching your calves, hips, shoulders, quads and hamstrings. Stretching reduces muscle cramps and stiffness after your walk.

Get a good outfit: You need comfortable, breathable clothes for your walk. You also need shoes that support your heels and arches and prevent foot and shin pains.

Use motivational tools: You can follow youtube walking videos, or listen to music and podcasts to help you keep a good pace and take your mind off the effort. You can also use walking apps or a pedometer to track your walk.

Change your route: You don’t have to walk the same route each day as this could get boring. You can walk to a sight, visit a friend or walk at home. You can also change the time of day that you walk. But make sure that your route and the time of day is safe.

Join a walking group: A walking group can keep you accountable and improve your social well-being . Your group can also ensure your safety. Check to see if there are any walking groups in your community.

Make walking part of your life: You can choose to walk rather than drive to work, a movie, or the store. You can leave the elevator for the stairs. You can also find reasons to walk—taking your pet out, a walk date, or a stroll with friends or family. 

Summary

You need to reduce your risk of heart disease  by managing your blood pressure. Walking helps you maintain a healthy blood pressure level. Walking also keeps you fit and has added health benefits. You can make your walk effective to help you meet your required steps with ease.