The results showed that adding just five minutes of exercise into their daily routine, such as cycling while running errands or climbing stairs, was enough to reduce blood pressure.

While walking did yield some positive benefits in those who weren’t very active, putting more demand on the cardiovascular system was thought to have the greatest effect.

How is blood pressure measured?

Blood pressure is measured by two numbers, such as 120/80 mmHg (millimetres of mercury), explains Dr Claire Merrifield, GP and medical director at Selph. ‘The top or highest number is called the systolic blood pressure and is the pressure in the arteries when the heart is beating,’ explains Merrifield. ‘When the heart relaxes, there’s still pressure in your arteries. This lower pressure is called the diastolic blood pressure.’

Five minutes of exercise that raises the heart rate could lower systolic blood pressure by 0.68 millimetres of mercury (mmHg) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) by 0.54mmHg.

A 2mmHg reduction in systolic blood pressure and a 1mmHg reduction in diastolic blood pressure across a population is equivalent to roughly a 10% reduction in the risk of heart disease, the experts said.

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Dr Jo Blodgett, the first author of the study, from UCL, 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.’

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