The unknown exercise that reduces blood pressure

You’ve all heard of Tai Chi, the slow-motion Chinese exercise of mindful movements—but there’s a similar one that’s less well known, and it’s one of the most effective ways to keep blood pressure levels in check.

Baduanjin combines slow movement with breathing and meditation, and it’s been tested on a group of people with type 1 diabetes; it significantly lowered blood pressure levels in just three months, and the benefits lasted for a year afterwards even when the participants had stopped exercising.

Doctors often recommend exercise to control blood pressure levels, but this usually involves brisk walking or strenuous workouts at a gym, whereas baduanjin is simple and easy, and is something everyone can do.

Researchers from the National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases in Beijing, China tested the exercise on a group of 216 people with type 1 diabetes who all had high blood pressure.  They were split into three exercise groups: brisk walking, exercise of their choice or baduanjin.

Compared to the exercise group, people practicing baduanjin five days a week lowered their 24-hour systolic blood pressure by about 3 mg Hg and their systolic blood pressure by 5 mg Hg after three months, and these lower readings were still registering a year afterwards.

The results are like those achieved by first-line blood pressure medications, and without the side effects, the researchers say.

Baduanjin isn’t yet another passing fad, it’s been practised in China for more than 800 years.

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