A new study has revealed that just five minutes of exercise a day can help lower blood pressure and may be effective in preventing heart-related issues.
Experts say that small lifestyle changes, such as replacing five minutes of watching TV with five minutes of running, can significantly improve cardiovascular health.
The research results show that activities like dancing, running, or cleaning can offer great benefits.
The study, conducted by researchers from University College London and the University of Sydney, involved 14,761 participants who wore activity trackers to assess the relationship between daily movements and blood pressure.
Over the course of 24 hours, people spent an average of seven hours sleeping, ten hours sitting, three hours standing, one hour walking at a slow pace, one hour walking at a fast pace, and 16 minutes performing exercises that elevated their heart rate.
The study found that five minutes of extra exercise that increased heart rate—such as climbing stairs, running, or cycling—led to a reduction in systolic blood pressure (the upper reading) by 0.68 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure (the lower reading) by 0.54 mmHg.
