Ancient Chinese movement shows promise for reducing blood pressure at home, study says

Researchers have shed fresh light on how a simple, centuries-old Chinese practice could be almost as effective as some medications in lowering blood pressure.

Baduanjin is a form of exercise that’s been widely practiced in China for at least 800 years. It involves a series of eight slow movements, gentle breathing and meditation — and typically takes only about 10 minutes to complete.

In a clinical trial, researchers studied 216 adults age 40 and older with Stage 1 hypertension. Over the course of a year...