Change Your Lifestyle To Lower Your Blood Pressure

February 10, 2010 in Blood Pressure

The most convenient way to reduce your blood pressure is medication. But it is not always essential. I know it becomes very difficult for you to take out few hours from your busy and fast life to work out for your health. But that is what is making you sick. You just need to make few changes in your lifestyle. If you are diagnosed with a blood pressure of 140/90 mmHg or more, then you are having high blood pressure. A blood pressure measuring 120-139/80-89 mmHg is determined as a Prehypertension condition. In such cases, its better if you can control your blood pressure using changes in your dietary plan and lifestyle. You can always delay, reduce or stop your medication.

Top 10 Changes In Your Lifestyle To Lower Your Blood Pressure:

  1. Watch Your Waist Line:
    When you gain extra weight, blood pressure also tend to increase.But if you can mange to lose about 10 pounds from your extra, then you can have a significant decrease in your blood pressure. Likewise, the more you lose out of your excess pounds, the more will be the drop in your blood pressure. If you are under any hypertension medication, then the medicines work more effectively if you lose weight.
    Keep a watch on your waistline. If your waist size is more than 40 inches (102cm), in men and 35 inches (88cm) in women, then you are at higher risk of getting your blood pressure increased. This data is little different in Asians. Men with waist size more than 36 inches (90cm) and women with 32 inches (80cm) are more prone to develop high blood pressure.
  2. Regular Exercise:
    Regular exercise of at least 30-60 minutes in a day will keep you most fit. You can reduce your blood pressure by about 4-9 mmHg. Stop living a sedentary life. Design an exercise program in consultation with your physician. Start with some moderate physical activities like walking for a 10 minutes at a time whenever you feel like in a day. Many people have developed a strategy that they would not spend time on exercises and other physical activities on weekdays but would do all those together during the weekend. But this is not good. You can risk your body with sudden outbursts of heavy physical work.
  3. Eat Healthy To Live Healthy:
    Whole grains, vegetables, fruits and low-fat dairy products are good to eat. Stop taking foods with saturated fat and cholesterol immediately. This will help you lower your blood pressure by 14 mmHg. Follow a DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet.
  4. Reduce Sodium Intake:
    Reduce your sodium intake. Sodium is your salt which you take in your daily meals. Even canned and processed foods have salts in them. Check on your salt consumption. You will have a reduced blood pressure by about 2-8 mmHg. A healthy adult needs only about 1,500-2,400 mg of sodium in a day. If you are aged (more than 50), black, or have chronic conditions as heart disease, kidney disease or diabetes then you must not have sodium more than 1,500 mg per day. 1 tsp of salt has 2,300mg of sodium. If you need flavor use more spices but not salt. Have a check on your water softener. They also may have hidden source of sodium in them. So switch to a different water-purification system.
  5. Limit Alcohol:
    Alcohols are good to prevent heart attacks, coronary artery disease and lower blood pressure by 2.5-4.0 mmHg. But these can be both good and bad for our health. You need to drink only in moderation. You must not drink more as its protective level is lost. If drank more, it can raise your blood pressure. Women should not exceed more than a drink and men should not have more than two in a day. Even your medicines will lose their effectiveness if you drink more. taper off slowly if you are a core drinker. Do not binge. Avoid drinking on weekdays.
    Suggested amounts:

    • 1 drink = 1 12-ounce of beer (355 ml),
    • 1 drink = 5-ounce glass of wine (148 ml),
    • 1 drink = 1.5-ounce of 80-proof distilled spirits (30 ml),

    Cut back immediately if you are drinking more than this.

  6. Limit Your Tobacco:
    Nicotine present in all tobacco products can raise your blood pressure by 10 mmHg. This effect can last up to an hour after your smoking. if you are smoking whole day, then your blood pressure will be constantly high. The chemicals in tobacco are very dangerous they can damage our arteries and cause fluid retention. This again triggers increase in the blood pressure. Tobacco products can lessen the effectiveness of your blood pressure medications. Try not to inhale smoke from others.
  7. Cut Back On Caffeine:
    Your blood pressure may rise temporarily by drinking caffeinated beverages. As per medical science restrict your caffeine to not more than 200mg per day. This is the amount in about two cups of coffee.
  8. Stress Reduction:
    Stress and anxiety may increase you blood pressure temporarily. Reduce your stress with yoga, music and others.
  9. Regular Health Checks:
    Try to monitor your blood pressure at home. Maintain a record.
  10. Create A Support System:
    Request a support from your family and friends. They would encourage you to be careful about your health. All you need is motivation. They will motivate you to do exercises, maintain healthy routine, live a healthy life.

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  2. Mind-Body Interventions To Lower Your Blood Pressure
  3. Drugs To Lower Hypertension
  4. Caffeine – How Does It Affect Blood Pressure ?
  5. Do Controlled Diets Help Reduce Blood Pressure ?
  6. What Is High Blood Pressure?

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