Could Bursts of Light Exercise Lower BP in Diabetes?

Short bursts of mild, gentle exercise could significantly lower blood pressure in patients with type 2 diabetes, according to a recent study.

Previous research has shown that long periods of sitting is associated with increased risk of obesity, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, high cholesterol, and cardiovascular disease, and that light exercise could lower blood pressure levels in overweight adults without diabetes.
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To examine the effects of light exercise on blood pressure levels in patients with diabetes, researchers followed 24 overweight or obese adults with type 2 diabetes (average age 62 years) over 8 hours of sedentary time.

Participants either walked at 2 miles per hour for 3 minutes or did 3 minutes of light resistance exercise every 30 minutes. Control patients sat uninterrupted for the full 8 hours. Light walking involved a leisurely stroll on a treadmill, while resistance activities included half-squats, calf raises, knee raises, and gluteal muscle squeezes.

Overall, compared to those participants who did not exercise, light walking was associated with an average drop of 10 points in systolic blood pressure, and simple resistance activity with an average drop of 12 points.

“Light activity breaks are not meant to replace regular, purposeful exercise. But they may be a practical solution to cut down sitting time, especially if you’re at your desk all day,” researchers concluded.

—Michael Potts

Reference:
American Heart Association. A few minutes of activity may cut blood pressure for people with Type 2 diabetes [press release]. November 9, 2015. http://newsroom.heart.org/news/a-few-minutes-of-activity-may-cut-blood-pressure-for-people-with-type-2-diabetes.