Beijing doctors tested a 10-minute routine against regular exercise for a full year. Blood pressure stayed lower the whole time.
The one thing
Practice baduanjin, a slow eight-move Chinese exercise routine, five days a week.
Baduanjin pairs slow, steady movement with deep breathing. Researchers think it may help blood vessel lining work better and calm the stress response, both of which affect blood pressure. Those reasons are still being studied.
Do it today
- Find a free baduanjin video that walks through all eight movements. The trial suggested video coaching.
- Do one full routine (about 10 to 15 minutes) five days a week.
- Prefer walking? In the same trial, brisk walking lowered blood pressure about as much. Pick the one you will keep doing.
What the study found
Compared with self-directed exercise, baduanjin lowered 24-hour systolic blood pressure by 3.1 mmHg more at 12 weeks and 3.3 mmHg more at one year. Office systolic pressure was 5.4 mmHg lower at 12 weeks and 5.2 mmHg lower at one year. Brisk walking gave similar results to baduanjin.
- Who
- 216 adults aged 40 and older (average age 57) with high-normal blood pressure, around 135/82, not on blood pressure medicine.
- Type of study
- Randomized trial across seven sites in Beijing (the BLESS trial). People were assigned to baduanjin, brisk walking, or exercising on their own. Baduanjin started with a 4-hour training course.
- Keep in mind
- People knew which group they were in. All were in Beijing, and the effect was smaller in heavier people. It is not yet known if results hold elsewhere.
Check first: If you have balance problems or joint pain, ask your doctor which moves to adjust.
Source: Pu, Zhang et al., Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 2026
Educational information, not medical advice. Read our medical disclaimer.