4 Exercise Tips to Help You Reverse High Blood Pressure

A high blood pressure diagnosis often comes with daily prescription medications. However, for some, improvements in diet and exercise alone may be enough to reverse that.

Group of middle aged people enjoying an outdoor yoga class

Updated November 13, 2025

By Maria Duca, MD, Cardiologist, Virtua Cardiology

When you’re diagnosed with a chronic condition like high blood pressure (hypertension), you’re often prescribed medications you have to take every day to get it under control. But changes to your diet and lifestyle alone may keep you from being on blood pressure medications the rest of your life.

The average person with hypertension is on two to three medications to treat it. However:

If you were just diagnosed—and your blood pressure isn’t so high that it would be a stroke risk—start eating a healthier diet and begin an exercise routine to reduce your blood pressure medications or get off them altogether.
If you’re at a healthy weight, exercise regularly, eat nutritious foods, and have a family history of high blood pressure, you will probably need to take medications to manage it for the long term—and that’s just because of genetics.

But nearly everyone diagnosed with high blood pressure can make a few lifestyle changes to improve their numbers. Increasing your exercise level can lower your blood pressure within just a few weeks, and losing 10 pounds can significantly reduce it.

Exercises to help you lower your blood pressure

Once you’re doctor clears you to exercise, here’s how to get started:

Start with a few 10-minute sessions a day

You may be convinced that you’re “too busy” to find time for exercise, but if you want to reduce or eliminate blood pressure medication, it’s worthwhile to find way to be active throughout the day. Here are a few 10-minute exercise ideas:

Do strength-training exercises while you watch TV. Try push-ups, crunches, lunges, squats, leg raises, or march in place.
Walk to a coffee shop or lunch spot that’s at least 5 minutes away from your office. The round trip will rack up 10 minutes of exercise and reduce work stress.
Park your car at the end of the lot any time you run an errand. These extra steps add up each day.
Walk around your house or up and down steps any time you're on the phone.
Commit to doing 10 minutes of a fitness DVD or on-demand workout. Chances are, once that time is up, you’ll be motivated to keep going.

Once you’ve carved out 10 minutes, try to find another 10, and then wake up 10 minutes earlier to work up to a total of 30 minutes every day.

Pick up the pace when walking the dog

Walking your dog counts as exercise, but make sure you’re getting your heart rate up. If your dog is an older, slower walker, consider finding a workout partner who can help you increase your speed. If you don’t have a pooch, you could offer to walk a neighbor’s dog or accompany them on their daily outings.

Find an exercise buddy

If you need help sticking to your exercise plan, ask a partner or neighbor to take a daily walk with you. You could also make friends with someone in a group exercise class and tell them you’ll “see them next week” at the end of class. Then, you’ll feel accountable to show up next time. If your fittest friend is on the other side of the country, consider sending them a weekly email or text sharing your workout routine.

Exercise all week long—not just the weekends

You may think you’re too busy to exercise for 30 minutes a day most days of the week, so you’ll make up for it on the weekend. However, going all out with exercise on the weekend for extended periods may be risky for your health. Break up your exercise routine into two 15-minute sessions or even three 10-minute sessions throughout the day.

To monitor your progress, check your blood pressure at home

It’s essential to manage your blood pressure with medication first if you’ve been diagnosed with high blood pressure. Then, be sure to closely monitor your numbers with a home monitor. This is because losing weight, reducing sodium intake, and engaging in regular exercise can change your blood pressure within a few weeks.

Start slow and watch for these signs

If you’re exercising and getting lightheaded, you need to stop what you’re doing. Lie down and put your feet over your head to get blood flow to your brain.
If you get lightheaded, dizzy, or feel fatigued, call your doctor and share your symptoms and home blood pressure readings. You may need to adjust your medication dosage, the time you take your medication, or your diet.
If you’re very lightheaded, salt and water will bring your blood pressure back up. Have a friend bring you water and something salty, like pretzels and water, or a Gatorade.
If you faint during exercise, call 911.

If you have tried diet, exercise, and medications to control your blood pressure, but aren’t seeing the desired results, talk to your doctor about renal denervation. This revolutionary new procedure helps treat uncontrolled high blood pressure, returning it to a normal range.