According to a new study published in the journal Circulation of the American Heart Association, only a few minutes daily could significantly lower blood pressure.

Researchers at the University of Sydney and University College of London (UCL) evaluated how small exercise bursts impacted people’s blood pressure.

According to a press release from UCL, 14,761 participants across six counties wore activity trackers while performing short physical tasks, including cycling, stair climbing, walking at various speeds, or running.

The release stated that participants spent a 24-hour day having approximately seven hours of sleep, 10 hours of sedentary behavior (like sitting), one hour of slow walking, three hours of standing, 16 minutes of exercise activities, and one hour of fast walking.

Researchers then analyzed what happened to blood pressure when an individual replaced a less active behavior with five minutes of exercise, finding it resulted in improvements that were “clinically meaningful.”

The release stated that incorporating only 10 to 20 additional minutes of exercise daily could equate to a 10% reduction in the risk of heart disease.

“Our findings suggest that, for most people, exercise is key to reducing blood pressure rather than less strenuous forms of movement, such as walking,” said Dr. Jo Blodgett, first author of the study from UCL Surgery & Interventional Science and the Institute of Sport, Exercise & Health.

“The good news is that whatever your physical ability, it doesn’t take long to have a positive effect on blood pressure,” Blodgett continued. “What’s unique about our exercise variable is that it includes all exercise-like activities, from climbing the stairs to a short cycling errand, many of which can be integrated into daily routines.”

Although walking had some positive effects, the researcher noted that exercises that “put more demand on the cardiovascular system” were the most beneficial for blood pressure.

Hypertension — elevated blood pressure — is defined as readings that are routinely above 140/90 mmHg.

The first number is systolic blood pressure (SBP), which measures the pressure against the artery walls when the heart beats, noted UCL. The second number, diastolic blood pressure (DBP), measures the pressure against the artery walls while the heart muscle is at rest between beats.

The conditions affect 1.28 billion adults and remain one of the leading causes of death around the world, according to statistics.

Despite the absence of symptoms, hypertension is a key contributing factor to stroke, heart attack, heart failure, kidney damage, and other dangerous conditions.

According to Professor Emmanuel Stamatakis, joint senior author and director of the ProPASS Consortium from the Charles Perkins Centre, this is the first study that examines the effects of substituting one activity with another.

“The finding that blood pressure may be beneficially affected by small amounts of exercise, some of which might be done as part of daily living, is also unique,” said Stamatakis. “Until now, most research has focused on structured exercise, which, unfortunately, is hard to initiate and even harder to maintain as a lifestyle habit for most people.”

According to Ian Del Conde Pozzi, M.D., a cardiologist at Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute, the study confirms what patients and clinicians have long observed.

“One way regular exercise reduces cardiovascular risk, including heart disease and stroke, is by lowering blood pressure and improving metabolic health, such as enhancing glucose metabolism and supporting healthy weight management,” Del Conde Pozzi, who wasn’t involved in the study.

The doctor noted that the human body functions most effectively with daily physical activity.

“When we lead lifestyles our bodies weren’t designed for — such as being sedentary or having constant access to high-calorie foods — our health can suffer,” said Del Conde Pozzi.

Consistent exercise helps restore the body to its “natural state,” allowing it to function better and help prevent many chronic health conditions.

However, exercise might not be enough to resolve high blood pressure.

“While most patients with high blood pressure may not achieve full blood pressure control through exercise alone, some individuals can potentially prevent high blood pressure altogether by adopting a healthy lifestyle that includes regular exercise,” said Del Conde Pozzi.

Based on the discoveries, researchers recommended that physically inactive individuals start by accumulating five to ten minutes of daily activity and gradually increase to around 25 to 30 minutes per day.

“This does not necessarily have to be in one continuous session — it can be done in multiple sessions interspersed across the day, with each session as short as one or two minutes,” said Stamatakis. “Of course, combining such daily activity with a structured exercise program would be optimal.”