Popular biceps exercise can lower high blood pressure naturally

File this one in your "weird but maybe true" folder: The way you exercise your upper arms may help lower your blood pressure reading at your next doctor’s appointment. Before you guess what this exercise is, make sure it’s not a traditional bicep curl. Instead, it’s a less strenuous exercise that’s surprisingly effective for the cardiovascular system: isometric resistance training. Not sure what isometric resistance training is? As an article from mayo clinic Explain that this is the act of mobilizing muscles statically. (In other words, there is no movement of the muscles involved other than getting them into a specific position.)

Hypothetically, adding new biceps exercises to your workout regimen might be good for your blood pressure, which may sound too good to be true. However, according to multiple studies, bicep curls and isometric resistance training show great potential to lower blood pressure.

2021 Systematic reviews and meta-analyses An article published in Hypertension Research documents the potential of isometric resistance training as an adjunct tool for individuals who want to lower their blood pressure. As the authors note, “IRT (isometric resistance training) appears to be safe and may result in clinically relevant BP (blood pressure) reductions.” Additionally, 2023 meta-analysis The Current Hypertension Report reached the same conclusion, with researchers stating that isometric resistance training can help reduce systolic and diastolic blood pressure levels in adults diagnosed with hypertension. other meta-analysisThis time the article from the 2019 Journal of Hypertension is equally positive.

Perhaps the most exciting scientific research on the potential of isometric resistance training to lower blood pressure comes from a 2022 study. meta-analysis Found in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. There, the most effective antihypertensive campaigns are listed in order of their effectiveness. Isometric training takes the top spot, beating out cardio and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) modalities.

But why are isometric resistance exercises like bicep curls so effective for the cardiovascular system? Dr. Neil Smart, a professor at the University of New England in Australia, introduced the scientific background behind this phenomenon in an article. Online MD article. As Smart says, "The body doesn’t like (isometric resistance exercises)…as soon as you stop squeezing, the blood flow returns to normal and then increases to try to clear out the mess created in the forearm."

The article goes on to further explain this process, explaining that the body releases high doses of nitric oxide into the blood. According to 2022 article An article on nitric oxide supplementation in the Journal of Preventive Medicine and Hygiene notes that nitric oxide can both improve heart health and lower blood pressure.

You can easily perform isometric resistance training as part of your weekly arm workout. You just need to understand how isometric resistance training works in action to take full advantage of the health benefits of this exercise. One way to understand how this works is to compare it to common movement-based exercises. For example, consider the elements of a traditional biceps curl. During the exercise, you’ll force your biceps to change position and length by repeatedly contracting and extending your arm muscles. Often, these contract release actions are called "repetitions" because they repeat the same action multiple times in a row. This type of exercise falls under the umbrella of traditional resistance training (without isometric training).

As explained in a 2021 report study Published in Sports Magazine Resistance training is a technique for improving muscle strength and endurance. However, isometric resistance training is not about building muscle strength by working against weights; This is to force them to turn against themselves. During isometric resistance training curls, you’ll be lifting enough weight to work your biceps. Then, instead of letting your arms lower the weight immediately, hold the weight steady for a few seconds. In this contracted state, your muscles will act as stabilizers. Not only will you still feel the "burn," but it may also help lower blood pressure levels.

You also don’t focus your isometric resistance training solely on your biceps. If you want to change up your workouts and address high blood pressure at the same time, all types of isometric resistance training are great options. For example, you may want to perform isometric grip exercises. According to 2022 study Adults who regularly participate in isometric handgrip training experience improved blood pressure levels, according to a systematic review. Additionally, certain exercise philosophies and exercises base many movements on isometric resistance training, including yoga. as outlined Healthlineyoga offers a plethora of isometric resistance training poses for you to explore.