Blood Pressure and Relaxation
It's well known that stress negatively affects blood pressure. To lower high blood pressure readings, it's therefore important to avoid stress and make time to relax.
The simplest thing is to slow down in everyday life. But that is often the hardest thing to do. Amid all the stress caused by work, perhaps family commitments, or simply daily life, it is your own health that suffers. We often forget how important it is to take breaks. Times when we can focus on ourselves and do something good for ourselves. This might mean exercising, enjoying a relaxed get-together with friends or family, pursuing a hobby, having a relaxing spa day, or something similar. Unfortunately, this is often impossible in a stressful daily routine-or only possible to a limited extent.
But especially when stress is high, it's very important to create small pockets of relaxation in your daily routine. Targeted relaxation exercises don't have to take much time but can bring great benefit.
There are various guides for this - for example, 10-minute relaxation exercises or short forms of well-known relaxation techniques.
There are also various relaxation methods you can learn, such as autogenic training, yoga, progressive muscle relaxation according to Jacobson, tai chi, qigong, and the like. Specific breathing exercises can also help you relax. Learning a relaxation technique also helps you create a small oasis of relaxation in your everyday life, because practice makes perfect here too. Once you have mastered a relaxation technique, it is easy to use a shortened version in everyday life, for example in stressful situations. This helps you keep a cool head and prevents your blood pressure from rising dangerously.
These relaxation exercises not only lower your blood pressure but also improve your overall wellbeing, which in turn has a positive effect on your whole body.
In April 2025 a study was published that also compared the effects of different relaxation techniques on blood pressure. The evaluation period of three months was relatively short, but it still showed interesting changes in systolic blood pressure. On average, it decreased by:
In April 2025 a study was published that also compared the effects of different relaxation techniques on blood pressure. The evaluation period of three months was relatively short, but it still showed interesting changes in systolic blood pressure. On average, it decreased by:
| Intervention | Reduction (mmHg) |
|---|---|
| Mindfulness | -9.90 |
| Psychotherapy | -9.83 |
| Meditative movements (e.g. yoga) | -9.58 |
| Meditation | -7.71 |
| Progressive muscle relaxation | -7.46 |
| Multicomponent interventions | -6.78 |
| Breathing exercises | -6.65 |
| Music | -6.61 |
Whether these blood pressure reductions are maintained at the same level over longer periods was not examined in the study. However, it clearly shows that it matters relatively little which relaxation technique best suits your personal preferences. Each one produces a benefit.
Sources:
This article is from Tensana – the leading app since 2011, helping hundreds of thousands of people monitor their blood pressure every day.
Our content is based on carefully researched, evidence-based data and is continuously updated (as of 12/2025).
Author Sabine Croci is a qualified medical assistant with many years of experience in internal medicine and cardiology practices as well as outpatient care, and has headed the specialist editorial team at Tensana since 2015. Thanks to her extensive additional qualifications as an emergency medical technician, first responder, and in various areas of therapy and emergency care, she provides well-founded, practical, and reliably verified information.
Author Sabine Croci is a qualified medical assistant with many years of experience in internal medicine and cardiology practices as well as outpatient care, and has headed the specialist editorial team at Tensana since 2015. Thanks to her extensive additional qualifications as an emergency medical technician, first responder, and in various areas of therapy and emergency care, she provides well-founded, practical, and reliably verified information.
Relaxation for High Blood Pressure
The Relaxation Guide from Tensana
That sounds great, but if you're already stressed you probably have hardly any time to deal with it.
So we approached our guide differently. We show simple tools that help you manage stress better in the long run.
- Quickly find out which relaxation style fits you.
- Try the exercises that match your style.
- The many illustrations make it easy and quick.
Finally: stress management without stress
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"Relaxation for High Blood Pressure" is now only available as an eBook in PDF format for just 9.90 euros.
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