A time-honored Chinese practice may offer an accessible, medication-free way to reduce blood pressure, according to new research that has drawn interest from both traditional and modern medicine experts.

Baduanjin, an exercise with roots stretching back over eight centuries, combines eight slow, deliberate movements with mindful breathing and meditation.

The entire routine takes about ten minutes to complete.

Researchers studied 216 adults aged forty and older who had Stage 1 hypertension.

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Over one year, participants were divided into three groups practicing either baduanjin, self-directed exercise, or brisk walking.

Within three months, those who performed baduanjin five times a week showed lower blood pressure levels.

The study, published by the American College of Cardiology, found these reductions were “comparable to reductions seen with some first-line medications.”

The researchers reported that after one year, baduanjin achieved “comparable results and safety profile to brisk walking.”

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Dr. Jing Li, the study’s senior author, emphasized the practice’s accessibility.

“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],” Li said.

Dr. Matthew Saybolt, medical director of Hackensack Meridian Jersey Shore University Medical Center’s Structural Heart Disease Program, said the results defied his expectations.

“I was biased and expected that higher intensity exercise like brisk walking would have resulted in greater improvement in blood pressure than baduanjin, but the effects were the same,” he told Fox News Digital.

Although he was not affiliated with the research, Saybolt said the findings give hope to patients managing hypertension without pharmaceuticals.

Dr. Antony Chu of Brown University’s Warren Alpert School of Medicine said his exposure to both Eastern and Western medicine shaped his appreciation for practices like baduanjin.

“These researchers are taking a lot of things that have been commonplace for many, many centuries or millennia and then just applying mathematical modeling and statistical analysis to sort of give [them] some credibility,” Chu explained.

He described Western medicine as “reactionary,” comparing its approach to extinguishing a house fire, while Eastern medicine, he said, focuses on preventing the fire in the first place.

Chu noted that baduanjin’s emphasis on mindfulness and slow movement may help calm the nervous system. He likened blood pressure to the “water pressure and the pipes of your house,” explaining that stress reduction is critical to health.

“People are totally stressed out,” he said. “And stress reduction is huge.”

Saybolt shared that he has long supported lifestyle modifications, including diet and exercise, as foundational to disease management and longevity.

The study’s data, he said, made him “more optimistic than ever” about low-intensity, mindful forms of exercise.

Chu acknowledged that adopting new habits can seem daunting but suggested incorporating simple routines.

“Close the door in your office and just say, ‘I can’t be bothered for 10 minutes,’ and just focus on breathing slowly and moving your arms or legs around,” he said.

Practiced for centuries, baduanjin continues to offer a link between ancient wellness traditions and modern science, providing a reminder that small, consistent rituals may make a measurable difference in everyday health.