Cycling one short journey a day enough to lower blood pressure, new research finds

New research has further highlighted the health gains that can be achieved simply by switching your mode of transport from something sedentary to cycling, with blood pressure shown to reduce with as little as a few minutes of exercise.

The study was carried out by ProPass, an international academic collaboration led by University College London and the University of Sydney. It examined the effect of physical activity on blood pressure and found that even very short-duration exercise can have a positive impact.

Even as little as five minutes of extra exercise a day was sufficient to reduce blood pressure, while replacing sedentary behaviours with 20-27 minutes of exercise per day (such as cycling, running, uphill walking and stair-climbing) was sufficient for a clinically meaningful reduction in blood pressure.

Data for 14,761 people who wore activity trackers was examined, the researchers finding that people spent an average of 7.13 hours sleeping, 10.7 hours undertaking sedentary behaviour, 3.2 hours standing, 1.6 hours slow walking, 1.1 hours fast walking, and 16 minutes on exercise-like activity. The study saw the researchers statistically model what would happen if participants changed some activities for others.

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More time spent exercising or sleeping, relative to other behaviours, was associated with lower blood pressure, researchers concluded. As little as five minutes of extra exercise-like activity to raise a person's heart rate could see blood pressure reductions.

For systolic blood pressure (SBP: the higher of the two numbers; pressure against arteries when the heart pumps blood), clinically meaningful improvements were estimated after 20 to 27 minutes of reallocating other behaviours into additional exercise.

For diastolic blood pressure (DBP: the lower number; pressure against arteries while the heart rests between beats), clinically meaningful improvements were estimated after 10 to 15 minutes of reallocation time.

Five extra minutes of exercise could lower SBP by 0.68mm HG (millimetres of mercury) and DBP by 0.54 mm HG. At a population level, a 2mm HG reduction in SBP and 1mm HG reduction in DPB would be equivalent to a 10 per cent reduction in the risk of heart disease.

The study concluded that "although more time spent being sedentary was adversely associated with SBP and DBP, there was minimal impact of standing or walking" and the findings "reiterate the importance of exercise for BP control, suggesting that small additional amounts of exercise are associated with lower BP in a free-living setting".

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It is further evidence of the potential health benefits that can be gained from simply cycling one short journey or errand each day. In July, research published in the British Medical Journal concluded that cycling your commute can lower risk of death by 47 per cent (as long as you aren't hit by a driver).

Likewise, another study published this year found that commuting by bike can improve mental health, with those who cycle to work less likely to be prescribed antidepressants.

Commenting on the latest research, Dr Jo Blodgett from the Division of Surgery and Interventional Science at UCL and the Institute of Sport, Exercise and Health said: "Our findings suggest that, for most people, exercise is key to reducing blood pressure, rather than less strenuous forms of movement such as walking.

"The good news is that whatever your physical ability, it doesn't take long to have a positive effect on blood pressure. What's unique about our exercise variable is that it includes all exercise-like activities, from running for a bus or a short cycling errand, many of which can be integrated into daily routines.

"For those who don't do a lot of exercise, walking did still have some positive benefits for blood pressure. But if you want to change your blood pressure, putting more demand on the cardiovascular system through exercise will have the greatest effect."