Exercise has long been associated with heart health. Walk, run, swim, bike or lift on a regular basis and your risk of heart disease and stroke decreases dramatically. The rewards are almost instantaneous with a drop in blood pressure notable when you swap out time on the couch for time in the gym. That’s good news for anyone with high blood pressure, which increases the chances of adverse cardiac events.

The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada says about one in four Canadians have been diagnosed with hypertension. That number increases in an older demographic to 51 per cent in Canadians 60-79 years of age. 

In most cases, exercise is considered safe for anyone who is effectively managing their blood pressure through medication or changes to their lifestyle. But it’s common for health-care professionals, including many organizations like the European Society of Hypertension, American College of Cardiology and the International Society of Hypertension, to advise keeping intensity in the moderate range to avoid the added cardiac stress associated with high intensity aerobic exercise. But the science related to the risk of hypertension and physical activity was largely informed by self-reported data that, when it comes to exercise, is unreliable. Not only do people routinely fudge how often they exercise, when it comes to intensity of effort there is little uniformity in determining whether a workout is light, moderate or vigorous. 

With the growing number of studies using wearable devices to accurately track activity over the course of a full day, an increasing number of exercise recommendations are being scrutinized based on more reliable data. To find out more about the relationship between exercise intensity and hypertension, a team of Australian researchers analyzed a large cohort of adults with high blood pressure who wore an accelerometer to track their daily activity.

“Using wearables-based data, our study is among the first to investigate the potential role of cardiovascular stress-related physical activity properties (intensity and bout length) on major adverse cardiovascular events in adults with diagnosed hypertension,” the researchers said. 

The researchers arranged 38,960 U.K. residents with hypertension into groups based on exercise intensity and duration. Short bouts of exercise were defined as up to three minutes at a moderate intensity and no longer than one minute at high intensity. Long bouts were any workout over five minutes of moderate intensity and over two minutes of high-intensity exercise. Hospitalization records of the cohort were then cross referenced over an eight-year period highlighting any documentation of a stroke, heart attack or heart failure.

The results offer new insight into how different types of exercise affect the heart health of people with high blood pressure. 

The good news is short bouts (up to 60 seconds) of high-intensity exercise proved not only safe, but also offer a protective effect, with fewer cardiac events found in study participants who exercised using multiple short bouts of high-intensity exercise. But the same can’t be said for high-intensity exercise lasting more than 10 minutes. 

“Such prolonged bouts could induce adverse vascular stress and adrenal gland dysfunction, which subsequently contribute to dysregulated cardiovascular function and induce increased arterial pressure,” the researchers said. “This can damage arterial walls, leading to increased stroke incidence.”

That doesn’t mean everyone with hypertension needs to avoid longer workouts done at a higher intensity. But if it’s a struggle keeping your blood pressure in a safe range and you want to start training for a speedy 5K, you may want to consult with your physician and/or cardiologist. 

“The cardioprotective effects of physical activity in hypertension depend not only intensity, but also on the duration of the physical activity bouts,” the researchers said. 

On the flip side, if you love doing multiple short bouts of high-intensity intervals in the pool, gym or on your bike, your heart is not only likely up to the challenge, but will also benefit from being put through its paces. 

How do you know whether your workout is high or moderate intensity? Take the cue from the research team and start relying on wearables to track your exercise stats. Exercise intensity is based on heart rate response during exercise while factoring in your maximum heart rate, which is based on age, both of which can be tracked on most smart watches. 

And since smart watches keep all the historical data from your workouts you can share your heart rate’s response to exercise with your medical team and discuss the most prudent form of exercise. Cardiac events while exercising are rare, but the accumulation of stress on the heart can lead to complications down the road. The best option is to find an exercise format that improves heart health in the long and short term as well as meeting the rest of your health and fitness goals. 

“Our findings, alongside recent device-based studies focused on short bouts of high intensity activities, provide valuable insights for potentially re-evaluating treatment options for patients with hypertension,” the researchers said. 

Business owner and women’s health, fitness and menopause educator Meera Bhogal says her ‘relationship with exercise today is almost unrecognisable’ compared with what it was like when she was younger. Clearly, something is working, as she’s reduced both her biological and metabolic ages by a full decade.

So, what’s changed?

‘Growing up, the focus was very much on being as thin as possible – exercise was used as a tool to burn calories and compensate for food,’ Meera tells WH. ‘I spent hours doing cardio, aerobics and spin classes because I believed that feeling exhausted and drenched in sweat was what made a workout successful.’

‘Now, my approach is completely different – exercise is no longer about chasing a particular body shape. It’s about maintaining my health, preserving muscle mass, supporting my mobility and staying physically capable for decades to come,’ she adds. ‘I want to be strong, independent and healthy well into my later years, and my training now supports my long-term quality of life rather than simply changing how I look.’

1. She practises yoga regularly

Meera says regular yoga has been ‘transformational’ for her.

‘Yoga has taught me how to slow down, connect with my breath and view movement as a form of moving meditation,’ she explains. ‘I practise Ashtanga yoga [often early in the morning] between 3 and 4 times per week, with sessions ranging from 30 minutes to 2 hours depending on my schedule.’

2. Strength training is her priority

‘My understanding of strength training has evolved significantly, and building and maintaining muscle is now one of my biggest priorities,’ says Meera. ‘Muscle supports healthy ageing, reduces the risk of osteoporosis, improves metabolic health and helps me stay strong and independent.’

‘I strength train around 4 times per week on average – some weeks it might be 3 sessions and other weeks it may be 5, but 4 is usually my baseline,’ she adds. ‘I generally train in the afternoon when I’ve had enough food and energy to perform well.’

Meera splits her strength sessions into push, pull, upper- and lower-body days, and focuses primarily on compound movements – exercises that recruit multiple muscle groups, such as deadlifts and squats.

A study published earlier this week involving more than 140,000 participants found that those who consistently performed between 90 minutes and 2 hours of resistance training per week had a 13% lower risk of death from any cause.

3. She doesn’t overdo cardio

While Meera says she doesn’t ‘do excessive cardio’ because preserving muscle mass remains a priority, she still includes it 2 to 3 times per week.

That might mean walking, StairMaster sessions, interval training on a bike or SkiErg, or shorter bursts of higher-intensity work.

The same study found that the lowest risk of death from any cause was generally observed among participants who combined aerobic exercise with strength training.

4. She prioritises recovery

Alongside strength and cardio work, Meera says she prioritises ‘recovery through mobility work, stretching, foam rolling and good sleep habits’.

Proper fuelling is crucial too.

‘I eat far more than I used to and have a much better understanding of protein, carbohydrates and fats,’ she says. ‘Rather than restricting food, I now focus on nourishing my body properly so it can perform and recover.’

‘Finding the right balance between strength training, cardiovascular fitness, nutrition, mobility, mindfulness and recovery has been life-changing,’ she adds.

Her advice for women who don’t know where to start?

‘The biggest mistake I see is women trying to do everything themselves by piecing together information from social media and expecting rapid results. Strength training is a skill and there’s real value in learning it properly,’ she says.

‘My first recommendation would be to seek support from a qualified coach or personal trainer, even if only for a short period.

‘Secondly, be patient – your body needs time to adapt. The person you are in week 1 will be very different from the person you are in week 10 if you stay consistent.

‘Finally, just start – whether that’s bodyweight exercises at home, a pair of dumbbells, or simply standing up and sitting down repeatedly from a chair. 5 minutes a day is infinitely better than doing nothing.’

One of our most frequently asked questions here at Women’s Health? How to build muscle and burn fat at the same time. So, we asked superstar trainer Oyinda Okunowo exactly how to do it. In this 4-week plan – created exclusively for Women’s Health COLLECTIVE members – you’ll get the workouts and nutrition guidance needed to help you on your way to better body composition. Tap the link below to unlock 14 days of free access to Oyinda’s plan and start training today.

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Hannah Bradfield is a Senior Health and Fitness Writer for Women’s Health UK. An NCTJ-accredited journalist, Hannah graduated from Loughborough University with a BA in English and Sport Science and an MA in Media and Cultural Analysis.  She has been covering sports, health and fitness for the last five years and has created content for outlets including BBC Sport, BBC Sounds, Runner’s World and Stylist. She especially enjoys interviewing those working within the community to improve access to sport, exercise and wellness. Hannah is a 2024 John Schofield Trust Fellow and was also named a 2022 Rising Star in Journalism by The Printing Charity.  A keen runner, Hannah was firmly a sprinter growing up (also dabbling in long jump) but has since transitioned to longer-distance running. While 10K is her favoured race distance, she loves running or volunteering at parkrun every Saturday, followed, of course, by pastries. She’s always looking for fun new runs and races to do and brunch spots to try.

“In health and fitness, the things that we know work aren’t revolutionary,” experienced PT and author Ben Carpenter told me a couple of years ago. His words stuck with me. And every expert I interviewed before our chat and every expert I’ve interviewed since seems to support his message.

“We know that exercise is good; we know that certain dietary habits like eating fruits and vegetables are good,” Carpenter said, simply.

The problem is that that isn’t as sellable as a promise on social media that one exercise, supplement, protocol or hack will transform your life.

You don’t need me to tell you that one product is unlikely to overhaul your fitness fortunes. But the good news is that if you nail the basics below, you can enjoy impressive results – all without denting your bank balance.

How to get fitter

If you move a decent amount daily, regularly do something to strengthen your body and eat an appropriate number of calories for your activity levels, chances are you will be in remarkably good nick, according to strength coach Dan John, who describes fitness as the intersection between “strength training, walking and caloric correctness”.

There is more nuance you can dive into here, such as protein quotas and specific exercises to work muscles at different angles. But in this nuance, people often get lost and give up.

Instead, focusing on improving the three foundational factors above will leave the vast majority of people in a far better place than when they started.

Read more: New research reveals the exercise six times more effective than walking

The world’s simplest exercise plan

1. Do two full-body strength training sessions per week (you can find an example in the video above)

2. Walk 8,000-plus steps a day

3. Do an aerobic activity (such as running, cycling, swimming, walking or many other sports) that gets you out of breath twice per week

This exercise plan echoes one I was introduced to by seasoned strength coach Darren Ellis. As a minimum effective dose for adults aged between 19 and 64, it aligns with the insights of the academics, researchers, coaches and athletes I’ve spoken to over the years. Here’s why:

A new study found that consistent strength training can significantly lower your risk of early death, neurological diseases, heart disease and stroke, all while building a more functional, robust body and being the best evidence-backed way to improve mobility.

University of Granada research from 2023 “provided the first scientific proof for how many steps you need to take per day to significantly reduce the risk of premature death: 8,000”. However, authors added that more daily movement can deliver added benefits, albeit with diminishing returns as your step count climbs higher.

And finally, Professor Emmanuel Stamatakis, a leading physical activity researcher from the University of Sydney, says a short burst of breathlessness-inducing intensity – anything from sprinting to climbing the stairs, depending on your fitness level – is one of the most efficient routes to several health perks.

“When it comes to functional capacity, and cardiorespiratory fitness in particular, you need intensity to challenge your physiology,” he explains. “Vigorous-intensity activity will force the heart to strengthen its muscle, improving its capacity to pump blood.”

Read more: There’s a new golden rule for strength training – expert coaches reveal everything you need to know

The golden rule of fitness: change leads to change

For those who think the guide above is too easy, I would point out that this is a baseline, not a ceiling. You are free and encouraged to do more for added health benefits – especially if you enjoy it.

For those who think it is too hard, I have more good news. “Every move counts towards better health,” a 2020 statement from the World Health Organisation reads.

Something is invariably better than nothing on the health and fitness front. Any move you can make away from a sedentary lifestyle or a non-nutritious diet is highly likely to improve your health.

Think of it like Newton’s first law of motion: “An object at rest remains at rest, and an object in motion remains in motion at constant speed and in a straight line, unless acted on by an unbalanced force.”

If you are currently overweight and you continue living life in exactly the same way, you will probably remain overweight. If you want to build muscle but you don’t make lasting changes to your diet or exercise routine, your mission will be unsuccessful.

If you want to change your fitness, you need to change something in your life, and you need to maintain this change on a consistent basis.

Read more: This is what happened when I took the RAF fitness test

The small changes that actually make a difference

Small changes quickly add up to have a significant cumulative impact, provided you do them consistently.

For example, if you currently walk an average of 2,000 steps a day and you up this to 2,500, your monthly total jumps up by roughly 15,000 and your health will likely experience a similar upward trajectory.

Upgrading from zero weekly strength training workouts to one 20-minute full-body session (like the one in the video above) will also deliver enormous return on investment, while an extra portion of fruit or vegetables each day has been proven to boost longevity. Don’t just take my word for it, though.

A 2025 study from the University of Sydney found that consistently hitting an extra 15 minutes of sleep, 1.6 minutes of exercise and half a serving of vegetables each day was linked to a 10 per cent lower risk of all-cause mortality in those with the least healthy existing routines. While greater changes led to greater benefits, small, consistent tweaks still delivered results. If you can make positive changes to your baseline behaviours, you will reap the rewards.

Read more: I did goblet squats every day for a month – the results surprised me

Add to your diet rather than giving up foods you love

If you are looking to reduce your calorie intake or make your meals more nourishing, I like Carpenter’s approach to dieting.

“A lot of diets focus on restriction and avoidance: you’re not allowed to eat certain things, or you have to reduce your intake of xyz,” he says.

“I like focusing on nutritious foods you can add in. They tend to have a habit of displacing other [more energy-dense] foods out of your diet because appetite is finite.”

Eating an apple or banana before reaching for a big bar of chocolate often (not always) leads to you eating less of the latter.

Prioritising other “slightly less processed” foods such as vegetables, lean proteins, beans, lentils and wholegrains, and opting for lower-calorie drink options, will also help increase the nutritional value and reduce the calorie count of your meals.

Read more: I specialise in coaching people aged 40-plus – do these six things for immediate results

The most valuable fitness tool in the world

The most valuable fitness tool in the world is not some expensive gadget or strength training stalwart such as a dumbbell or kettlebell.

Surprisingly, it’s habit.

Starting to live a healthy lifestyle can be incredibly difficult. The new behaviours you are trying to adopt often jar with your existing routine, making it easy to fall off the wagon.

“Making major behavioural changes on a large scale is very complex, and if you set the bar too high – such as telling people to make drastic changes to their diet, sleep for an extra hour every night or go to the gym five times per week – they may be less likely to succeed,” Professor Stamatakis tells me.

The antidote to this is starting conservatively and introducing minor behavioural tweaks with as little friction as possible. Exercise snacks are a great way to do this. Then, once you’re into the swing of things, healthy behaviours can become remarkably manageable – habitual, even, like brushing your teeth.

A healthier person tends to make healthier choices. An already active person takes more opportunities to be more active. Someone who has felt the benefits of a nutritious diet will usually pursue it further.

Tiny tweaks can kickstart this virtuous cycle that plugs into better health. All you have to do is start small and stick with it.

Read more: The easiest way to strengthen your entire body, according to this expert coach