Cardio vs. Strength Training: Which Is Better for Blood Pressure?

Reviewed by Dietitian Katey Davidson, M.Sc.FN, RD, CPT

Key Points

• Cardio and strength training both improve blood pressure.

• They support healthy blood vessels, helping blood flow with less resistance.

• Aim to include both cardio and strength training in your exercise routine.

High blood pressure is incredibly common, affecting nearly half of U.S. adults. It’s also one of the biggest risk factors for heart disease and stroke, which makes managing it an essential part of protecting your long-term health.

When it comes to healthy lifestyle habits for managing blood pressure, regular exercise is one of the best and most accessible tools available. However, there’s a lot of noise online around which type of exercise is best. Should you focus on cardio? Strength training? Both? We spoke with a cardiologist and a physical therapist to explain how each type of exercise can help support healthy blood pressure. Here’s what you need to know.

Cardio & Blood Pressure

Cardio (or aerobic exercise) includes activities that raise your heart rate and breathing for an extended period of time, such as brisk walking, cycling, swimming, dancing or jogging.

It Strengthens Your Heart

“Regular cardio exercise is great for lowering blood pressure and improving vascular health, as it strengthens the heart’s ability to pump blood around the body efficiently, and reduces the force on arterial walls,” says physical therapist Adam Fujita, PT, D.P.T., CAFS.

It Helps Blood Vessels Relax

Engaging in aerobic exercise regularly helps your arteries relax and improves circulation.

Cardiologist Randy Gould, D.O., explains that aerobic exercise supports the inner lining of your blood vessels, known as the endothelium. “Cardiovascular exercise enhances endothelial function by increasing nitric oxide production, a vasodilator that reduces vascular tone and lowers peripheral vascular resistance,” he says.

“Cardio reduces the production of norepinephrine, a hormone that causes blood vessels to narrow, assisting with blood flow,” adds Fujita. Relaxed blood vessels can also help reduce vascular resistance, meaning your heart doesn’t have to work as hard to push blood through your body.

It May Reduce Arterial Stiffness

Arteries naturally become stiffer as you age, and that stiffness can lead to higher blood pressure. Fortunately, regular aerobic exercise may help. “Long-term aerobic exercise can decrease vascular stiffness and aid in arterial remodeling, which can increase the size of arteries, making them more flexible,” explains Gould.

Strength Training & Blood Pressure

While cardio often gets most of the attention when it comes to heart health, strength training (aka resistance training) can also support healthy blood pressure management. Strength training includes exercises that work your muscles against resistance, whether it’s lifting weights, using resistance bands or performing body-weight movements like air squats, pushups, pull-ups and planks.

It Improves Vascular Function

Similar to cardio, strength training can help improve how your blood vessels respond to changes in blood flow. “Strength training improves vascular function and reduces arterial stiffness,” says Gould. “It makes arteries more elastic and flexible, which lowers resting blood pressure.” “This means the heart requires less effort to pump blood around the body,” adds Fujita.

However, its effects may be strongest when paired with cardio, suggesting both forms of exercise are beneficial.

It Builds Lean Muscle

Strength training is essential for building lean muscle, which supports blood pressure in several ways.

First, it can reduce strain on your cardiovascular system during daily activities. “Weight training also helps to increase lean muscle mass, which gives the cardiovascular system more capacity to pump blood, and reduces the strain on arteries,” says Fujita.

Resistance training also improves metabolic health, including the way your body handles glucose and energy. This helps maintain healthy blood sugar levels and metabolic flexibility, meaning your body can utilize energy more efficiently. Better metabolic health is associated with healthier blood vessels and blood pressure regulation.

Gould adds that strength training can also help support weight management and improve cholesterol levels, both of which can help improve cardiovascular health and blood pressure. “Strength training also lowers ‘bad’ (LDL) cholesterol and raises ‘good’ (HDL) cholesterol. Additionally, by increasing lean muscle mass, it helps with fat loss and reduces overall cardiac strain, which can lead to better blood pressure control,” he explains.

Which Is Better?

“A combination of both [cardio and strength training] is the most effective approach for reducing blood pressure,” says Gould. “They both can reduce blood pressure by different mechanisms.”

Fujita agrees. “Both of these exercise types are beneficial for improving cardiovascular fitness, with many studies finding that a combination of both brings the highest reduction in blood pressure,” he explains. “Ultimately, the key to success is regular, consistent exercise.”

Because of their complementary benefits, the American Heart Association recommends at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity or 75 minutes per week of vigorous aerobic activity, plus two days of muscle-strengthening activity per week.

Safety Considerations

Exercise is one of the best lifestyle habits for managing blood pressure, but it’s important to take necessary precautions, especially if you have high blood pressure or other heart-related conditions. This may include consulting with your health care provider to design a safe exercise program for you.

“People with hypertension should avoid holding their breath during resistance exercises, as this can cause sharp spikes in blood pressure,” adds Fujita. “Always make sure your breathing is controlled, and you can still talk when exercising.”

If your blood pressure is very high, consider pumping the brakes on intense exercise until it’s better controlled. Gould says that if blood pressure is significantly elevated, say in the range of 180/110 mm Hg or higher, it’s best to hold off on exercise until your blood pressure is in a safer range.

Our Expert Take

Cardio and strength training both support healthy blood pressure, but they do so in different ways. Cardio tends to have a stronger direct effect on lowering blood pressure because it can improve blood vessel function, circulation and heart efficiency, while strength training may help improve vascular function, build lean muscle and support metabolic health.

To better manage your blood pressure, the best approach is to combine both cardio and strength training. Aim for regular aerobic activity most days of the week, and strength training two to three times weekly. If you have high blood pressure or heart-related symptoms, speak with your health care provider before starting any new exercise program.

Read the original article on EatingWell