If you have high blood pressure, you may wonder if medication is necessary to bring the numbers down. But lifestyle plays a vital role in treating high blood pressure. Controlling blppd pressure with a healthy lifestyle might prevent, delay, or reduce the need for medication.
The reasons could go from expansion in unhealthy food decisions to not getting time to cook. Alteration in the diet is the initial step one can take to control the pulse. Adding exercise to your daily routine can help you lose weight and improve BP symptoms.
Lifestyle Changes That Can Lower Blood Pressure And Keep It Down
Here are some lifestyle changes that you can do to lower BP
1. Lose extra pounds
Hypertension often increases as weight increases. Being overweight also can cause disrupted breathing while you sleep (sleep apnea), which further raises blood pressure.
Weight loss is one of the most effective lifestyle changes for controlling blood pressure. If you’re overweight or have obesity, losing even a small amount of weight can help reduce blood pressure
2. Exercise regularly
- Regular physical activity can lower high blood pressure by about 5 to 8 mm Hg.
- It’s important to keep exercising to keep hypertension from rising again.
- As a general goal, aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity every day.
- Exercise can also help keep elevated blood pressure from turning into high (hypertension).
- For those who have hypertension, regular physical activity can bring BP down to safer levels.
3. Eat a healthy diet
Eating an eating routine rich in entire grains, organic products, vegetables, and low-fat dairy items and low in immersed fat and cholesterol can bring down hypertension by up to 11 mm Hg. Instances of eating plans that can assist with controlling circulatory strain are the Dietary Ways to Deal with Stop Hypertension (Run) diet and the Mediterranean eating regimen.
Potassium in the eating routine can reduce the impact of salt (sodium) on circulatory strain.
4. Reduce salt (sodium) in your diet
Even a small reduction of sodium in the diet can improve heart health and reduce high blood pressure by about 5 to 6 mm Hg.
The effect of sodium intake on blood pressure varies among groups of people. In general, limit sodium to 2,300 milligrams (mg) a day or less. However, a lower sodium intake — 1,500 mg a day or less — is ideal for most adults.
5. Limit alcohol
Limiting alcohol to less than one drink a day for women or two drinks a day for men can help lower hypertension by about 4 mm Hg. One drink equals 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof liquor.
But drinking too much alcohol can raise hypertension by several points. It can also reduce the effectiveness of blood pressure medications.