[HN Gopher] Study suggests isometric exercises best for reducing...
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Study suggests isometric exercises best for reducing blood pressure
Author : cyounkins
Score : 74 points
Date : 2023-07-26 20:05 UTC (2 hours ago)
(HTM) web link (bjsm.bmj.com)
(TXT) w3m dump (bjsm.bmj.com)
| epistasis wrote:
| Seeing these decrease in numbers really emphasizes the strength
| of exercise as an intervention. It's lot just isometric exercise,
| but all types here that significantly lowered blood pressure. And
| it's not just blood pressure, it's basically all bad health
| outcomes, according to other meta analyses. People want to know
| what food to eat, what food not to eat, and what supplements to
| take, what drugs to take. But we should be asking how we can make
| room in a week to get 3-6 hours of moderate physical activity,
| first.
| blackkettle wrote:
| Eat less, move more, make sure you sleep.
| whydoyoucare wrote:
| That "eat less"needs to be elaborated. Eating less beef is
| not the same as eating less tomatoes. :-)
| xboxnolifes wrote:
| In the context of caloric intake, it basically is the same
| thing. People (population level) eat too much _food_. Which
| foods should they eat, exactly, is essentially premature
| optimization in this context.
| eastbound wrote:
| Sleeping is actually not easy. I reserve 9 hours in bed, but
| I snore and wake up very tired, also insomnia and therefore
| it's a feedback loop to open the phone in bed otherwise I
| ruminate (potentially suicidal) thoughts... I bet less than
| half the population is able to sleep properly while laying in
| bed (and yes, I've heard all the advice about sleep habits
| and seeing someone).
|
| Once you fix sleep, you become much more brave and courageous
| for sports. And it's a positive feedback loop, it's a blind
| spot for sporty people (I've practiced 8-9hrs a week) to tell
| "Just do sports and sleep soundly".
| malfist wrote:
| I see your comment about intrusive thoughts. Don't hesitate
| to speak to a doctor about them and take medication for it.
|
| I put off doing that for almost two decades, when I finally
| did after an attempt it really changed my life around.
|
| I'm now on a maintenance dose of trazodone, and thought
| I've went off of it a few times, I think I'll stay on it
| for good now. It keeps future episodes away and it does
| wonder for your sleep. I'd agonize over the days event's
| for an hour or so after going to bed, but it really helps
| me fall asleep in 15-20 minutes.
| inconceivable wrote:
| lol dude you have sleep apnea. you're suffocating.
| numinoid wrote:
| Have you been tested for sleep apnea? Your symptoms are
| pretty on the money.
| paxys wrote:
| "Exercise makes you healthier" is hardly an earth shattering
| revelation. Everyone knows the benefits of exercise,
| _especially_ unhealthy people. That is still usually not enough
| of a motivator, however, hence the reliance on fad diets and
| drugs.
| numinoid wrote:
| This can't be emphasized enough. Exercise is likely the single
| most important and effective intervention we have available
| from a preventative medicine standpoint.
|
| If you're not optimizing adequate exercise alongside
| controlling bodyfat levels first and foremost you're doing it
| wrong.
| qzw wrote:
| > Secondary network meta-analyses revealed isometric wall squat
| and running as the most effective submodes for reducing SBP
| (90.4%) and DBP (91.3%), respectively.
|
| Wall squat was actually a close second to running for DBP
| reduction as well. As a member of late gen-X who is getting
| slightly elevated BP readings, this is very interesting and
| timely. I always assumed, without evidence, that aerobic
| exercises would be best for reducing BP. Be right back, going to
| do some wall squats.
| helph67 wrote:
| "A big advantage of doing hand-grip exercises for lower blood
| pressure is that it doesn't take a lot of time. You only need to
| do it for about 12 minutes a day, several times a week, and you
| can do it pretty much anywhere"
| https://highbloodpressurebegone.com/handgrip-exercises/
| acumenical wrote:
| Ben Greenfield, who is regarded as somewhat of a quack, has for a
| long time advocated for isometric exercise. I always found him
| interesting so I followed his blog for a while. I always thought
| the stuff about isometric exercise was bunk, but if the study is
| sound, then I guess I was too quick to judge. This is potentially
| great news for him and his brand.
| prometheus76 wrote:
| Anecdotal, but worth considering: Bruce Lee relied mostly on
| isometric exercises to stay in shape.
| peter422 wrote:
| Dr. Stuart McGill (PHD, written multiple books about back
| health), strongly promotes isometric exercises for back health.
|
| However at the end of the day stability only gets you so far,
| since we are always moving, so it really makes sense to combine
| isometric exercises with other ones to get a robust exercise
| plan for whatever goals each person has.
| shaftoe444 wrote:
| Everyone at my Olympic weightlifting gym does the McGill Big
| 3. Great way to protect lower back.
| ww520 wrote:
| To save time on reading here is the key finding on the decrease
| of blood pressure from various exercises.
|
| aerobic exercise training (-4.49/-2.53 mm Hg)
|
| dynamic resistance training (-4.55/-3.04 mm Hg)
|
| combined training (-6.04/-2.54 mm Hg)
|
| high-intensity interval training (-4.08/-2.50 mm Hg)
|
| isometric exercise training (-8.24/-4.00 mm Hg)
|
| Here's a link on what isometric exercise is.
|
| https://www.healthline.com/health/fitness-exercise/isometric...
| hammock wrote:
| What is combined training?
| cyounkins wrote:
| BBC thinks it is "aerobic and weights"
| colpabar wrote:
| [flagged]
| dang wrote:
| Ok, since we asked you not to post like this and you've
| continued to do it a lot, I think we have to ban the
| account.
|
| I hate to ban an account with a vim command in its profile,
| but unfortunately moderation is about the worst things a
| user does, not the best things.
|
| If you don't want to be banned, you're welcome to email
| hn@ycombinator.com and give us reason to believe that
| you'll follow the rules in the future. They're here:
| https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html.
| dqv wrote:
| Right, it's not mentioned what that is in the article.
|
| On first search, something you do with your horse. I don't
| have a horse.
|
| This site says
|
| >Combination Training is an integrated form of training that
| combines lower body, upper body, trunk musculature and
| balance training all into one exercise, accomplishing three
| times as much training in the same amount of time.
|
| https://nwpersonaltraining.com/blog/combination-training/
|
| I think something like those Billy Blanks Tae Bo videos would
| fit the bill.
| geph2021 wrote:
| can anyone summarize the volume of such training that was used
| in the comparison?
|
| EDIT: At least the isometric exercise part is answered in the
| comments below [1]
|
| 1 - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=36884118#36884647
| panabee wrote:
| comparison with GPT4 answering the same question:
|
| test 1
|
| prompt: what are the key findings on the decrease in blood
| pressure on various exercises?
|
| answer: The study found significant reductions in resting
| systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure
| (DBP) following various types of exercise training:
|
| 1. Aerobic exercise training resulted in a decrease of
| approximately 4.49 mm Hg in SBP and 2.53 mm Hg in DBP.
|
| 2. Dynamic resistance training led to a decrease of
| approximately 4.55 mm Hg in SBP and 3.04 mm Hg in DBP.
|
| 3. Combined training (a mix of different exercise types)
| resulted in a decrease of approximately 6.04 mm Hg in SBP and
| 2.54 mm Hg in DBP.
|
| 4. High-intensity interval training led to a decrease of
| approximately 4.08 mm Hg in SBP and 2.50 mm Hg in DBP.
|
| 5. Isometric exercise training resulted in the most significant
| decrease, with approximately 8.24 mm Hg in SBP and 4.00 mm Hg
| in DBP.
|
| In terms of specific exercises, the isometric wall squat was
| found to be the most effective for reducing systolic blood
| pressure, and running was found to be the most effective for
| reducing diastolic blood pressure (Pages 1, 5, 8, 11).
|
| test 2
|
| prompt: you're a world-class educator who can explain any
| concept, no matter how esoteric or technical. what are the key
| findings on the decrease in blood pressure on various
| exercises?
|
| answer: Sure, I'll break down the key findings from the study
| on how various exercises affect blood pressure:
|
| 1. *Aerobic exercise training*: This type of exercise includes
| activities like jogging, swimming, or cycling. The study found
| that aerobic exercise training can reduce systolic blood
| pressure (the top number in a blood pressure reading,
| indicating the pressure in your arteries when your heart beats)
| by an average of 4.49 mm Hg, and diastolic blood pressure (the
| bottom number, indicating the pressure in your arteries when
| your heart is at rest between beats) by an average of 2.53 mm
| Hg.
|
| 2. *Dynamic resistance training*: This involves exercises like
| weight lifting where you're moving your body against some type
| of resistance. The study found that this type of training can
| reduce systolic blood pressure by an average of 4.55 mm Hg and
| diastolic blood pressure by an average of 3.04 mm Hg.
|
| 3. *Combined training*: This is a mix of different types of
| exercise. The study found that combined training can reduce
| systolic blood pressure by an average of 6.04 mm Hg and
| diastolic blood pressure by an average of 2.54 mm Hg.
|
| 4. *High-intensity interval training (HIIT)*: This involves
| short bursts of intense exercise followed by short periods of
| rest or lower-intensity exercise. The study found that HIIT can
| reduce systolic blood pressure by an average of 4.08 mm Hg and
| diastolic blood pressure by an average of 2.50 mm Hg.
|
| 5. *Isometric exercise training*: This involves exercises where
| you're holding a position and contracting your muscles without
| much visible movement, like planks or wall sits. The study
| found that isometric exercise training can reduce systolic
| blood pressure by an average of 8.24 mm Hg and diastolic blood
| pressure by an average of 4.00 mm Hg, making it the most
| effective exercise mode in this study for reducing both
| systolic and diastolic blood pressure.
|
| In terms of specific exercises, the study found that the
| isometric wall squat was the most effective for reducing
| systolic blood pressure, and running was the most effective for
| reducing diastolic blood pressure.
|
| Remember, these are averages, and individual results can vary.
| It's also important to note that any exercise program should be
| undertaken with the advice of a healthcare professional,
| especially for individuals with high blood pressure or other
| health conditions.
| zer8k wrote:
| I don't know if people think these posts are useful but they
| are starting to become tiring enough to be spam.
|
| If I wanted ChatGPT's response I'd ask it.
| panabee wrote:
| sorry, thought others might also be curious since LLMs are
| notorious for hallucinating but fared well here.
|
| unfortunately, cannot delete because of our comments. :(
| Alex3917 wrote:
| Honestly I think aerobic training is more effective than
| isometric training at reducing blood pressure, I think most
| people (and studies) just don't do enough of it to see the
| effect. You really need to be doing a minimum of 90 minutes of
| zone 2 training 5 - 6 days per week, which isn't especially
| difficult but it's just more than most people are willing to
| do.
|
| There's no doubt that doing squats or whatever will reduce your
| blood pressure more in the short term, but the effects
| generally only last for a few days. Whereas the effects of
| aerobic are larger and longer lasting, you just need to do it
| correctly and reasonably consistently.
| m463 wrote:
| I wonder how much a standing desk counts as isometric exercise,
| or is it more a balancing exercise.
| rngname22 wrote:
| "isometric handgrip (IHG), isometric leg extension (ILE) and
| isometric wall squat (IWS) as IET subgroups. IET programmes
| commonly employ protocols of 4x2 min contractions, separated by
| 1-4 min rest intervals, performed three times a week. IHG"
|
| It sounds like the three isometric exercises evaluated in these
| studies were wall sits, leg extensions, and handgrips.
|
| Does anyone know how this study would go if these exercises were
| less medical intervention and more elite athlete? How would one
| even do a full body isometric workout?
| wswope wrote:
| Some options that spring to mind for a more "serious" full-body
| isometric workout:
|
| * Suitcase holds
|
| * Pull-up holds
|
| * Standing in a power rack with heavy barbell on back
|
| * Bench press holds at the bottom (pressing just hard enough to
| keep weight off the chest)
|
| * Overhead holds
|
| Quite a few plank-variation-type options from the yoga world as
| well.
| peter422 wrote:
| It's more of a hybrid exercise but "pause squats", in which
| you hold the weight at the bottom position before coming back
| up are a very good variation of a standard squat.
| DennisP wrote:
| Bruce Lee famously used isometrics, using a bar attached to a
| chain, attached to a platform to stand on.
|
| A modern equivalent is the Isomax, which adds a strain gauge so
| you can see how hard you pulled, and audible feedback that
| tells you when you're pulling harder than your target weight.
| You can do deadlifts, squats, presses, rows, and so on. Even a
| chest press, it uses a strap made of seatbelt material and you
| can wrap it around your back instead of attaching to the
| platform.
|
| https://www.dragondoor.com/products/isomax/
|
| There's various stuff on youtube, and on the previous
| generation called the Isochain, which is heavier and a bit less
| convenient to work with but essentially the same. It uses a
| chain instead of a strap, and has a heavy spring so there's
| still a slight bit of give to it, which they say helps your
| nervous system make a strong effort. Here's one channel
| dedicated to it:
|
| https://www.youtube.com/@NoLimitSquad
|
| I recently got the Isomax and it seems to be a pretty solid
| piece of kit. I've mainly been using other gear so haven't done
| that much with it yet, but this study has me thinking I should
| get more serious about it.
| codemac wrote:
| If you don't want to start with something as elaborate, is
| some basic straps in a loop. Worldfit[0] sells these simple
| pieces, work great.
|
| [0]: https://www.worldfit.com/
| DennisP wrote:
| Sure that's a much cheaper way to start. I do find the
| feedback helpful. A lot of times I think I'm giving max
| effort but the device isn't beeping yet, and I find I've
| got more in me after all. It's kinda like lifting a
| barbell, where you have to exceed a certain force to get
| something to happen.
| smolder wrote:
| Taken from Mayo clinic, for anyone not clear on what isometric
| exercise refers to:
|
| Isometric exercises are tightening (contractions) of a specific
| muscle or group of muscles. During isometric exercises, the
| muscle doesn't noticeably change length. The affected joint also
| doesn't move. Isometric exercises help maintain strength. They
| can also build strength, but not effectively. And they can be
| performed anywhere. Examples include a leg lift or plank.
| cyounkins wrote:
| Yep! The isometric leg extension is more commonly known in the
| US as a plank. Pictures here:
| https://www.bbc.com/news/health-66303982
| digdugdirk wrote:
| Follow up details - isometric exercises don't have to be just
| bodyweight, and can be trained for strength by performing the
| exercise against something to constrain the motion. Imagine
| crawling under your bed before performing the plank (now more
| of a pushup, since you're pressing with your chest muscles)
| mentioned above. You can push as hard as possible, but you
| won't budge the bed.
|
| They're incredible for returning from injury, since you can
| specifically train ranges of motion, and the person performing
| the exercise has full control of the "load" - aka how hard to
| exert themselves.
| varjag wrote:
| I had a watchOS app made (Hold Steady on App Store) for my
| olympic pistol isometric training if anyone feels like
| exercising their arms instead. Have no idea if it has a
| comparable effect on blood pressure though.
| akaru wrote:
| So...yoga?
| evansj wrote:
| This explains how Principal Skinner was able to keep so calm
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(page generated 2023-07-26 23:02 UTC)