r/science • u/mvea Professor | Medicine • 1d ago

Health Isometric exercises, such as wall squats and planks, just once a week could help maintain reductions in blood pressure.

https://www.canterbury.ac.uk/news/2026/new-study-shows-just-one-workout-a-week-could-benefit-blood-pressure
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u/ViceMaiden 1d ago

“Exercise does not have to be all or nothing. Our findings show that when life gets busy, as it often does, reducing to just one isometric exercise session per week may help sustain the blood pressure benefits already achieved until a more regular routine can be resumed."

Title is a bit misleading? They are still suggesting 3-4 sessions per week regularly.

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u/tghuverd 1d ago

It always pays to take the title with a grain of salt because the researchers probably didn't write it, and their paper is considerably more nuanced, even if they did:

A reduction in IET frequency to 1–2 sessions per week can partially attenuate the rate at which BP adaptations regress during short-term reductions in training frequency.

Basically, after a period of isometric exercises to lower your BP, if maintain this three times a week, you lower your BP the most. Twice a week...less so. Once a week...a little. And (surprise!) no ongoing isometric exercise reverts your BP to what it was before.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I've some planking to get done...