The language of training and fitness is complex, which is why the Oxford Longevity Project uses the simple definition in the Live Longer Better glossary: “The development of capacity to perform well and the reserve to respond appropriately to a physical or mental challenge.” Live Longer Better uses a taxonomy of four dimensions of physical fitness (skill, stamina, strength and suppleness) and two dimensions of mental fitness (cognitive and emotional).
There is also the puzzling classification of exercise as being either isometric or isotonic. In isometric exercise the muscles tighten but do not change length, for example in a Wall Sit, where you sit with your back against a wall, knees bent, but with no chair or stool under your bottom, and hold the position. It has been customary to regard isometric training as being primarily for increasing strength, but this new study demonstrates how isometric training can reduce blood pressure:
“Isometric exercise training (IET) is a time-efficient intervention that reduces resting blood pressure (BP), with effects similar to, or greater than, some pharmacological therapies.”
So if you have been told you have high blood pressure, it is very important to increase isotonic exercise, for example by walking briskly for thirty minutes a day, but it is also sensible to make sure you are doing exercise that will increase strength. This could be as part of a weekly or twice-weekly gym session, or a daily exercise session at home designed to increase your strength and suppleness. As well as picking up your blood pressure pills daily, pick up some weights, from a bag of sugar or a bottle of water to five or ten kilos, or do some Wall Sits. If standing is difficult, there are isometric exercises you can do sitting down, such as squeezing a cushion between your knees, pressing your palms firmly together, or squeezing a soft ball or handgrip, holding each for a count of ten or more.
Reference:
Swift HT, et al. Isometric exercise training and blood pressure control: exploring the dose–response to training frequency in a randomised controlled trial. BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine. 2026;12:e003172. doi:10.1136/bmjsem-2025-003172