Can walking lower blood pressure? We’ve long known walking has many health and wellbeing benefits, including strengthening our bones and muscles and helping us to maintain a healthy weight and lose body fat. It turns out the walking perks don’t stop there.

Regular physical activity is associated with lower blood pressure and therefore reduced cardiovascular risk. Walking to control your blood pressure, whether in the great outdoors or on one of the best walking treadmills, is easily accessible to most and is no different.

Dr. Mahmoud Al Rifai, a member of the American College of Cardiology who has been involved in multiple studies of cardiovascular risk, tells us: “We frequently advise our patients to engage in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, and that can include walking.” And it’s not hard to see why.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), hypertension (the more formal term for high or raised blood pressure) affects 47% of people in the US. Furthermore the CDC estimates that only one in four adults with hypertension have their condition under control. Clearly, finding a reliable and consistent way to keep your blood pressure within healthy limits is more important than ever.

Below, you’ll find everything you need to know about walking and its potential role in lowering blood pressure, including how it helps and exactly how much walking you need to do to see positive results.