Blood pressure is the force of the circulating blood on the walls of the arteries. It usually rises and falls throughout the day and maintaining its healthy levels is important. People diagnosed with high blood pressure typically take medication to bring it down.
But there are ways to successfully control blood pressure without taking medication. Through a healthy lifestyle, one may avoid, delay or reduce the need for medication.
6 Lifestyle Changes to Lower Blood Pressure, Reduce Risk of Heart Disease
Normal Vs. High Blood Pressure
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), blood pressure is measured using two numbers - systolic and diastolic numbers. Systolic measures the pressure in the arteries during a heartbeat, while diastolic measures the pressure in the arteries when the heart is at rest between beats.
If the blood pressure reader says 120 systolic and 80 diastolic, it will be written as 120/80 mmHg. It is the normal blood pressure level. But a systolic of 130-139 and diastolic of 80-89 is considered a high blood pressure or hypertension.
The higher the blood pressure, the more risk a person has for other health problems, particularly cardiovascular diseases, heart attack, and stroke.
Preventing and Managing High Blood Pressure
Prevention is always better than cure. Healthy lifestyle choices are a great place to start to avoid high blood pressure and prevent heart diseases. Below are some of the lifestyle changes that need to be followed to lower blood pressure naturally, according to Mayo Clinic.
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1. Exercise Regularly and Lose Some Extra Pounds
Regular exercise of at least 150 minutes a week or 30 minutes for five days helps lower blood pressure and prevent hypertension. Also, physical activities increase your dopamine level which helps you feel good.
You can do aerobic exercises like jogging, cycling, swimming, or dancing. You can also challenge yourself with high-intensity interval training that involves an alternation of short bursts of intense activity with recovery periods of lighter physical activity. Lastly, include strength training at least two days a week, such as push-ups, sit-ups or squats. You can also lift any weight.
Through physical activity, the body will be able to lose some extra pounds. it will prevent the person from becoming overweight or obese, which causes high blood pressure. Men should have a waist measurement of not greater than 40 inches, while women should not have a waist greater than 35 inches to maintain healthy blood pressure.
2. Eat a Healthy and Balanced Diet
Include whole grains, fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy products, and reduce food rich in saturated fat and cholesterol in your diet. This eating plan is called the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet that can be easily followed by using a food diary, boosting potassium, and becoming a smart shopper who strictly sticks to a healthy-eating plan.
Also, reduce your sodium consumption to 2,300 milligrams (mg) a day to improve heart health. For adults, a lower sodium intake of 1,500mg a day is ideal.
3. Limit Consumption of Alcoholic Drinks
Science Times previously reported that any amount of alcohol could affect the body. But limiting its consumption helps maintain healthy blood pressure as well.
4. Quit Smoking
Each stick of cigarette contributes to high blood pressure. Quitting the habit will significantly improve the health of one's circulatory system and prevent cardiovascular diseases.
5. Reduce Caffeine Intake
The effects of long-term consumption of caffeine on blood pressure are still debated. But experts said that it could increase blood pressure up to 10 mmHg for people who rarely consume them, but those who drink them regularly may experience little effect.
To know whether a person is sensitive to caffeine, measure blood pressure 30 minutes after drinking a caffeinated beverage and see if the blood pressure rises by 5 to 10 mmHg.
6. Take Some Time Off and Relax to Reduce Stress
Chronic stress is bad for the health and contributes to high blood pressure. Taking some time off from stressors will improve one's health. Since stressors cannot be eliminated, coping through changing your perspective and focusing on the controllable factor could help.
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