Think fast: What’s the best workout to reduce blood pressure? You might guess it’s a low-key aerobic exercise like walking, or a heart-pumping method like Zumba class. While those are great options, it turns out that isometric exercises—in which you simply hold one position, like a plank—trump all other workouts.According to a big, recent meta-analysis in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, isometric holds are more effective than HIIT, dynamic strength training, and cardio when it comes to lowering blood pressure. (That’s news to many of us!)
If you’re looking to prevent or treat hypertension, you’re gonna want to jot that down. But how could staying still be so effective? We asked the experts to break it down.
