Blood pressure tip: Get off the couch

By Mayo Clinic Staff

If you're concerned about your high blood pressure, consider this: about 30 minutes of physical activity most days of the week can lower your blood pressure by about 5 to 8 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg). It's important to be consistent because if you stop exercising, your blood pressure can rise again. So what are you waiting for? Talk to your doctor about starting an exercise program.

April 10, 2018 See more In-depth

See also

  1. Medication-free hypertension control
  2. Adrenal Nodule Create Health Risks
  3. After a flood, are food and medicines safe to use?
  4. Alcohol: Does it affect blood pressure?
  5. Alpha blockers
  6. Amputation and diabetes
  7. Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors
  8. Angiotensin II receptor blockers
  9. Antiphospholipid syndrome
  10. Anxiety: A cause of high blood pressure?
  11. Arteriosclerosis / atherosclerosis
  12. Artificial sweeteners: Any effect on blood sugar?
  13. AskMayoMom Pediatric Urology
  14. Beta blockers
  15. Beta blockers: Do they cause weight gain?
  16. Beta blockers: How do they affect exercise?
  17. Birth control pill FAQ
  18. Blood glucose meters
  19. Blood glucose monitors
  20. Blood pressure: Can it be higher in one arm?
  21. Blood pressure chart
  22. Blood pressure cuff: Does size matter?
  23. Blood pressure: Does it have a daily pattern?
  24. Blood pressure: Is it affected by cold weather?
  25. Blood pressure medication: Still necessary if I lose weight?
  26. Blood pressure medications: Can they raise my triglycerides?
  27. Blood pressure readings: Why higher at home?
  28. Blood pressure test
  29. Blood pressure tip: Get more potassium
  30. Blood pressure tip: Know alcohol limits
  31. Blood pressure tip: Stress out no more
  32. Blood pressure tip: Watch the caffeine
  33. Blood pressure tip: Watch your weight
  34. Blood sugar levels can fluctuate for many reasons
  35. Blood sugar testing: Why, when and how
  36. Bone and joint problems associated with diabetes
  37. Fibromuscular Dysplasia- Patient Experience, Struggles and Living with FMD
  38. Fibromuscular Dysplasia- Explanation, Treatments and Resources
  39. How kidneys work
  40. Build resilience to better handle diabetes
  41. Bump on the head: When is it a serious head injury?
  42. Caffeine and hypertension
  43. Calcium channel blockers
  44. Calcium supplements: Do they interfere with blood pressure drugs?
  45. Can whole-grain foods lower blood pressure?
  46. Caring for a loved one with diabetes
  47. Central-acting agents
  48. Choosing blood pressure medications
  49. Chronic daily headaches
  50. Chronic kidney disease
  51. Coarctation of the aorta
  52. Cushing syndrome
  53. DASH diet
  54. DASH diet
  55. DASH recommended servings
  56. DASH diet tips
  57. Diabetes
  58. Diabetes and dental care
  59. Diabetes and depression: Coping with the two conditions
  60. Diabetes and exercise: When to monitor your blood sugar
  61. Diabetes and fasting: Can I fast during Ramadan?
  62. Diabetes and foot care
  63. Diabetes and Heat
  64. Diabetes and menopause
  65. Diabetes and summer: How to beat the heat
  66. Diabetes and travel: Planning is key
  67. Diabetes and electric blankets
  68. 10 ways to avoid diabetes complications
  69. Diabetes diet: Create your healthy-eating plan
  70. Diabetes diet: Should I avoid sweet fruits?
  71. Diabetes foods: Is honey a good substitute for sugar?
  72. Diabetes and liver
  73. Diabetes management: Does aspirin therapy prevent heart problems?
  74. Diabetes management: How lifestyle, daily routine affect blood sugar
  75. Diabetes: Eating out
  76. Diabetes nutrition: Sweets
  77. Diabetes symptoms
  78. Diabetes treatment: Can cinnamon lower blood sugar?
  79. Using insulin
  80. Diuretics
  81. Diuretics: A cause of low potassium?
  82. Diuretics: Cause of gout?
  83. Dizziness
  84. Do infrared saunas have any health benefits?
  85. Do you know your blood pressure?
  86. Drug addiction (substance use disorder)
  87. High blood pressure and exercise
  88. Fibromuscular dysplasia
  89. Free blood pressure machines: Are they accurate?
  90. Home blood pressure monitoring
  91. Glomerulonephritis
  92. Glycemic index: A helpful tool for diabetes?
  93. Guillain-Barré syndrome
  94. Headaches 101: Know your type
  95. Headaches and hormones
  96. Headaches: Treatment depends on your diagnosis and symptoms
  97. Is chocolate healthy?
  98. Supplements and heart drugs
  99. High blood pressure (hypertension)
  100. High blood pressure and cold remedies: Which are safe?
  101. High blood pressure and sex
  102. High blood pressure: Can you prevent it?
  103. High blood pressure dangers
  104. How opioid addiction occurs
  105. How to tell if a loved one is abusing opioids
  106. How to use opioids safely
  107. Hunter syndrome
  108. Hypertensive crisis: What are the symptoms?
  109. Hypothermia
  110. IgA nephropathy (Berger's disease)
  111. Insulin and weight gain
  112. Insulin therapy options
  113. Intensive insulin therapy
  114. Intracranial hematoma
  115. Isolated systolic hypertension: A health concern?
  116. Kratom for opioid withdrawal
  117. L-arginine: Does it lower blood pressure?
  118. Late-night eating: OK if you have diabetes?
  119. Preventing lead exposure
  120. Lead poisoning
  121. Low-phosphorus diet: Helpful for kidney disease?
  122. Diabetes and carbs
  123. Medications and supplements that can raise your blood pressure
  124. Menopause and high blood pressure: What's the connection?
  125. Molar pregnancy
  126. MRI: Is gadolinium safe for people with kidney problems?
  127. New Test for Preeclampsia
  128. Nighttime headaches: Relief
  129. Nosebleeds
  130. Sleep apnea, obstructive
  131. Obstructive Sleep Apnea
  132. Opioids and other drugs: What to watch for
  133. Pain Management
  134. Pheochromocytoma
  135. Picnic Problems: High Sodium
  136. Pituitary tumors
  137. Polycystic kidney disease
  138. Polypill: Does it treat heart disease?
  139. Porphyria
  140. Postpartum preeclampsia
  141. Preeclampsia
  142. Prescription drug abuse
  143. Primary aldosteronism
  144. Pulse pressure: An indicator of heart health?
  145. Mayo Clinic Minute: Rattlesnakes, scorpions and other desert dangers
  146. Reactive hypoglycemia: What can I do?
  147. Reading food labels
  148. Renal diet for vegetarians
  149. Resperate: Can it help reduce blood pressure?
  150. Sample DASH menus
  151. Scorpion sting
  152. Secondary hypertension
  153. Serotonin syndrome
  154. Service dogs assist with diabetes care
  155. Service dogs: Should I get one if I have diabetes?
  156. Sleep deprivation: A cause of high blood pressure?
  157. Sleep tips
  158. Vegetable recipes
  159. Blood sugar testing
  160. Snoring
  161. Snoring solution: Sleep on your side
  162. Sodium: Smarten up
  163. Spider bites
  164. Stress and headaches: Stop the cycle
  165. Stress and high blood pressure
  166. Symptom Checker
  167. Takayasu's arteritis
  168. Tapering off opioids: When and how
  169. Tetanus
  170. Tetanus shots: Is it risky to receive 'extra' boosters?
  171. The dawn phenomenon: What can you do?
  172. Tips for cutting costs of blood glucose test strips
  173. Infographic: Transplant for Polycystic Kidney Disease
  174. Treating pain: When is an opioid the right choice?
  175. Vasodilators
  176. Vegetarian diet: Can it help me control my diabetes?
  177. Vesicoureteral reflux
  178. Video: Heart and circulatory system
  179. How diabetes affects your blood sugar
  180. How to measure blood pressure using a manual monitor
  181. How to measure blood pressure using an automatic monitor
  182. Obstructive sleep apnea: What happens?
  183. What is blood pressure?
  184. Weightlifting: Bad for your blood pressure?
  185. What are opioids and why are they dangerous?
  186. What's your high blood pressure risk?
  187. White coat hypertension
  188. Wrist blood pressure monitors: Are they accurate?
  189. Effectively managing chronic kidney disease