DOING an extra five minutes of exercise daily could help lower the risk of a heart attack or stroke, scientists claim.
Walking, cycling, or climbing stairs in short bursts can help reduce blood pressure, a UK and Australian study of 14,761 people wearing activity trackers found.
Hypertension, or consistently high blood pressure, affects over one billion adults globally and is a leading cause of premature death.
Often called the "silent killer" due to its lack of symptoms, it can result in serious health issues such as stroke, heart attack, heart failure, and kidney damage.
Dr Jo Blodgett, of University College London, 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 climbing the stairs to 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."
The research team analyzed data from six studies across five countries, to examine the link between daily movement patterns and blood pressure.
