Nearly half of adults in the U.S. have high blood pressure, a leading cause of heart attacks and stroke. Fortunately, walking is an easy and accessible way to lower and manage blood pressure, without medication—but is there a best time to do it to reap the most benefits? We tapped two cardiologists to find out.
Blood pressure typically rises in the morning and dips in the evening, said Tiffany S. Di Pietro, DO, a cardiologist and founder of Di Pietro Health. People who experience big morning “surges” or higher blood pressure at night are at greater risk for health problems.
That’s where walking comes in. The blood pressure-lowering effects of a single walk can last for hours afterward, Di Pietro explained, a period that doctors call “post-exercise hypotension.” So, the time of day you go on a walk can impact when that blood pressure-lowering window actually occurs.
Some evidence suggests that walking in the late afternoon or evening may benefit blood pressure. A 2019 study, for example, found that evening aerobic activity resulted in a significant reduction in systolic blood pressure following the exercise compared with morning training or the control group. Still, the medical literature is mixed on the timing question, and results can vary from person to person, Di Pietro said. Any differences based on the timing are likely minor and not universal.
There’s also the possibility that intense exercise near bedtime could decrease sleep quality, warned Jason V. Tso, MD, a cardiologist with the Sports Cardiology Program and the Center for Inherited Cardiovascular Disease at the Stanford University School of Medicine. “So, for those who find it hard to sleep after a brisk walk, it is fine to exercise any time of day,” he said.
Ultimately, the experts agreed that the best time to walk to lower blood pressure is whenever you can find the time. With fewer than half of Americans meeting the weekly physical exercise recommendations, prioritizing movement often matters more than the exact timing.
Beyond timing, a few factors can influence how effective walking is at lowering blood pressure:
- Consistency: The biggest benefits come from consistent movement. “Regular walking over weeks and months is what lowers your average blood pressure,” Di Pietro said.
- Your baseline: The higher your starting blood pressure, the more noticeable the benefits of walking tend to be.
- Unhealthy habits: Poor sleep and chronic stress can increase blood pressure and blunt the effects of walking. Diet also matters—excess sodium, alcohol consumption, and poor nutrition also play a role.
- Speed: You’ll see the most benefits from walking at a brisk pace that gets your heart rate up. A simple rule of thumb is that you should be able to talk but not sing, Di Pietro said. The American Heart Association recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise each week, which can include brisk walking, Tso said.
High blood pressure occurs when the force of blood pushing against the artery walls remains too high for too long, putting pressure on the heart. In general, the narrower the arteries and the more blood the heart pumps, the higher blood pressure tends to be.
At the cellular level, aerobic exercise causes arteries to produce more nitric oxide, which helps them dilate and lowers blood pressure, Tso explained. Walking can also reduce cortisol levels. This makes blood vessels more flexible, further supporting healthy blood pressure.
