Lifestyle plays an important role in treating high blood pressure. A healthy lifestyle may delay or reduce the need for medication. Here are 10 lifestyle changes that can help you lower blood pressure and keep it steady.
1- Lose extra pounds and maintain your waistline
Blood pressure often increases as weight increases, and a loss of 5 kilograms greatly helps to lower blood pressure. In general, the more weight you lose, the lower your blood pressure. Losing weight also makes any blood pressure medications you take more effective. You and your doctor can determine your healthy weight and the best way to accomplish this. You should also follow your waist circumference, as a lot of weight around the waist puts you at greater risk of high blood pressure.
2- Exercising regularly
Regular physical activity, at least 30 to 60 minutes most days of the week can lower blood pressure from 4-9 millimeters of mercury in a short time and increasing the level of exercise can lower blood pressure in just a few weeks. Just be careful not to do intense exercises on your day off as compensation for irregular exercise throughout the week, because sudden activity may do more harm than good.
3- Eat a healthy diet
Eating a diet rich in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy products and saturated fats can lower blood pressure by up to 14 mm Hg.
4- Reducing sodium in your diet
Reducing sodium in the diet is by reducing the amount of salt consumed daily. You can do this by replacing the salt in your food with spices, avoiding eating processed meals and reading labels on food products before purchasing them to ensure that they do not contain high levels of sodium.
5- Avoid tobacco products and secondhand smoke
Nicotine in tobacco products can raise blood pressure by 10 mm Hg or more for up to an hour after smoking. Smoking throughout the day means that high blood pressure stays constantly. You should also avoid passive smoking. Inhaling smoke from others also puts you in many health problems, including high blood pressure and heart disease.
6- Reducing caffeine
Drinking caffeinated drinks causes a temporary rise in blood pressure, but it is unclear whether it is a temporary or long-term effect. To see if caffeine raises your blood pressure or not, check your blood pressure within 30 minutes of drinking a cup of coffee or caffeinated drinks. If your blood pressure rises from 5 to 10 points, your pressure may be sensitive to caffeine.
7- Reducing stress
Stress or anxiety can temporarily increase blood pressure. Therefore, you must identify the cause of tension and try to avoid it or solve the problem causing this tension. If you can’t eliminate all of the stress, you can at least handle it in a healthy way.
Like taking a break for deep breathing exercises
Get a massage, yoga or meditation.
If you suffer from high blood pressure, you should monitor your blood pressure regularly, using pressure gauges, with regular follow-up at a specialist.