A randomized study reported in BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine found that isometric exercise training—including exercises like squats and planks—was associated with short-term blood pressure-lowering benefits. The optimal frequency appeared to be three sessions per week.
The finding adds to the evidence base for non-drug approaches to blood pressure management. The study did not address long-term effects, and the report does not specify the magnitude of the BP reduction or the patient population studied.
In the same roundup of cardiovascular research, other recent developments included a new American College of Cardiology scientific statement on diet, an updated meta-analysis favoring left atrial appendage closure in some atrial fibrillation patients, and a preclinical study suggesting semaglutide as a potential therapy for obesity-associated heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. These items are unrelated to the isometric exercise trial and are noted here for context.