Mind-Body Practices Like Qigong, Yoga May Help Treat Hypertension

on PinterestForeign trainees learn Baduanjin, a traditional breathing and stretching exercise, in Sanya, south China’s Hainan Province, Aug. 7, 2025.

on PinterestForeign trainees learn Baduanjin, a traditional breathing and stretching exercise, in Sanya, south China’s Hainan Province, Aug. 7, 2025. Image credit: Xinhua News Agency/Getty Images

• A recent clinical trial found that a centuries-old mind-body practice known as baduanjin helped lower blood pressure in people with hypertension.
• Similar to qigong, baduanjin is a low impact movement practice emphasizing mindful breathing.
• Other mindfulness practices, such as yoga and meditation, have shown potential for managing blood pressure.
• While larger studies on these effects are still needed, experts say mind-body practices help with stress management and complement first-line treatments for hypertension.

It’s no secret that mindfulness practices like yoga and meditation offer numerous health benefits, from improved strength and flexibility to reduced stress and better heart health.

The cardiovascular benefits of certain mind-body practices may even extend to blood pressure management.

A recent clinical trial found that an ancient mind-body practice known as baduanjin effectively lowered blood pressure in hypertensive practitioners.

Similar to qigong, baduanjin is a low impact wellness practice originating in China that incorporates slow, aerobic, and isometric movement patterns, mindful breathing, and awareness. The practice involves a standardized eight-movement sequence that takes about 10–15 minutes to perform.

The researchers who conducted the trial found that, compared with other forms of self-directed exercise, practicing baduanjin 5 days a week led to a reduction in systolic blood pressure at a 3-month follow-up that was sustained for a year.

These results are comparable to some first-line hypertension medications, the researchers say. The baduanjin regimen also yielded results similar, if not superior to, brisk walking. The findings were published in JACC, the flagship journal of the American College of Cardiology.

New blood pressure guidelines emphasize earlier intervention and regular physical activity. While long-term adherence to exercise can help manage blood pressure, staying committed to a fitness routine is often challenging.

Accessible exercises like baduanjin, the researchers say, offer an alternative to gym memberships or exercises requiring specialized instruction or equipment.

“Given its simplicity, safety and ease at which one can maintain long-term adherence, baduanjin can be implemented as an effective, accessible and scalable lifestyle intervention for individuals trying to reduce their blood pressure,” senior study author Jing Li, MD, PhD, director of the Department of Preventive Medicine at the National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases in Beijing, China, said in a statement.

Here’s how mind-body practices like baduanjin and others can help lower blood pressure.

Qigong practices have beneficial effects on blood pressure

Research on the cardiovascular benefits of mind-body practices is ongoing.

A 2023 meta-analysis suggests that qigong may offer cardiovascular benefits in people with metabolic syndrome, which can lead to high blood pressure. The authors say that qigong may offer an alternative exercise option, but note that more high quality studies are still needed.

“This meta-analysis found that qigong exercise appeared to have a beneficial effect on blood pressure,” said Cheng-Han Chen, MD, board certified interventional cardiologist and medical director of the Structural Heart Program at MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center in Laguna Hills, CA.

Chen wasn’t involved in the study.

“This is a promising finding that should

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