Isometric Training to Reduce Blood Pressure

 

You heard that right – Isometric Training has been proven to be the MOST successful form of exercise to lower blood pressure!     This flies in the face of what most of us have been told about Isometrics increasing blood pressure, but the key is understanding how the body responds to isometric muscle exercise both short and long term.

In the short-term when we tense our muscles strongly without movement – such as during an abdominal plank – our blood pressure goes up as the muscles press against the blood vessels.   However, the body responds to this challenge after the exercise by opening up the blood vessels wider which lowers blood pressure!

Multiple studies including a large research review have proven that isometric exercise is MORE effective than cardiovascular exercise or regular movement-based resistance training workouts.    This does not mean that you should not do cardiovascular exercise or movement-based strength training because there are many other benefits to these forms of training.

Isometric Hand Grip to Reduce Blood Pressure

Even isometric hand-gripping exercise has been shown to be highly effective at lowering blood pressure.   A recent systemic review showed that isometric handgrip training was superior to traditional endurance and strength training in lowering resting systolic blood pressure.    Multiple studies have shown that a simple handgrip exercise protocol (no sweating required!) can be highly effective in lowering blood pressure within 6 to 12 weeks when done just 3 times per week!

For example in a 1992 study where men trained using 30% of their maximum grip strength for two minutes and then resting two minutes done three times in a row conducted three times per week men in the study showed a 12.5 point drop in systolic blood pressure and 14.9 point drop in diastolic blood pressure!

Isometric Handgrip Protocol for Blood Pressure

Here is a simple protocol that you can do anywhere anytime.     Ideally purchase a handgrip dynamometer (handgrip exerciser that shows your force production during exercise) – such as this one:  shorturl.at/glKWZ

Using the gripper warm up doing a few test grips gradually increasing intensity and then do a couple of maximum efforts making sure you do NOT hold your breath.     Take note of your best effort and the force you produced.

Multiply your maximum grip force by .3 to determine your exercise grip level.   For example if you can produce 60lbs of force in your maximum effort – your exercise grip level would be 60 X .3 = 20lbs of pressure.

Take the dynamometer and squeeze with either hand to your grip level and hold it there for 2 minutes (setting a two-minute repeating countdown timer makes this protocol super simple).     Then rest for the next two minutes and repeat for a total of 3 sets.  Switch hands between sets and do this 3 – 4 times per week.

Here is a great video explaining the science and showing you exactly how to do the protocol:  https://youtu.be/8Kw4olWsYzs  

Consult with your physician before starting any exercise program.