How to Add 5 Minutes of Daily Activity to Improve Blood Pressure

By Lorra Garrick | Last updated 12/24

Research shows that even 5 minutes of physical activity can help lower blood pressure.

But what if it’s hard to figure out if you’ve gotten in that extra five minutes?

The study, published in Circulation, was conducted by the ProPASS (Prospective Physical Activity, Sitting and Sleep) Consortium, a collaboration led by the University of Sydney and University College London (UCL).

The study found that just five minutes of extra activity per day could lead to a noticeable reduction in blood pressure.

More significant changes — replacing sedentary time with 20-27 minutes of exercise like uphill walking, stair climbing, cycling or running — were estimated to bring about clinically meaningful reductions in blood pressure.

NOTE: These study results don’t mean you should think, “Well gee, I do so much work around the house that I already have a built-in extra five minutes of activity.”

You should add on five minutes of activity that you normally would not do, such as five minutes of nonstop going up and down your staircase – and briskly if possible.

Another example is if you normally walk your dog around the block twice, then at the completion of this, add on five minutes of jogging alongside your dog.

Perhaps you can shoot baskets for five minutes instead of just watching your kids play.

High Blood Pressure: The Silent Killer

Hypertension, or consistently high blood pressure, is a leading cause of premature death worldwide, affecting 1.28 billion adults.

It is linked to serious health problems, including heart disease, stroke, kidney failure and heart attacks.

Hypertension is often called the “silent killer” because it can go unnoticed for years without symptoms.

Five Minutes More

The research team analyzed data from 14,761 participants across five countries to investigate how changes in daily movement habits affect blood pressure.

Each participant wore a device on their thigh to measure activity and blood pressure.

The study divided daily activity into six categories: sleep, sedentary behavior (e.g., sitting), slow walking, fast walking, standing and vigorous exercise (such as running, cycling or stair climbing).

The team then modeled how replacing different types of activity would impact blood pressure.

They found that replacing sedentary time with 20-27 minutes of moderate exercise could potentially reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases by up to 28% across the population.

This suggests that even modest increases in physical activity could have a significant health benefit.

Professor Emmanuel Stamatakis, a senior author of the study, points out that while high blood pressure is a major health issue, there are simple ways to address it without relying solely on medication.

He emphasizes that even small changes, like adding five minutes of exercise to your day, can have a measurable effect on blood pressure.

Dr. Jo Blodgett, the study’s first author, notes that while walking can offer some benefits for blood pressure, more intense physical activity — such as running or cycling — will have a greater effect on managing blood pressure.

She adds that the study’s approach was broad, considering all forms of exercise, from running to short bursts of cycling or even brisk walking.

For people who are not very active, these small activities can be easily incorporated into daily routines.

If your typical day is such that it’s difficult to figure out what an “extra” five minutes of activity would be, then set a timer for five minutes and do something out of the ordinary – as mentioned, something you just don’t do in your daily life. Examples: