These 10 lifestyle changes can lower your blood pressure and heart disease risk.
These 10 lifestyle changes can lower your blood pressure and heart disease risk.
From Mayo Clinic Staff
If you have been diagnosed with high blood pressure, you may
be afraid to take medication to reduce your number.
Lifestyle plays an important role in the treatment of high
blood pressure. By controlling your blood pressure with a healthy lifestyle,
you can avoid, delay or reduce the need for medication.
Here are 10 lifestyle changes to lower blood pressure and
keep it low.
Blood pressure often increases with weight. Being overweight
can also lead to an interruption of breathing during sleep (sleep apnea), which
further increases blood pressure.
If you lose even a little weight, if you are overweight or
obese, this can lower your blood pressure. In general, with every kilogram of
weight you lose, you can lower your blood pressure by about 1 millimeter of
mercury (mm Hg).
In addition to losing weight, you should generally also
monitor your height. If you put too much weight around your waist, it can lead
to increased blood pressure.
In general:
Men are at risk if their waist is larger than 102 cm.
Women are at risk if their waist is larger than 89 cm.
These numbers vary depending on the ethnic group. Ask your
doctor how to measure your waist correctly.
2. Exercise regularly
Regular physical activity, eg. 150 minutes per week, or
about 30 minutes on the days of the week, can lower your blood pressure by
about 5 to 8 mmHg if you have high blood pressure. It is important that you are
stable because if you stop exercising, your blood pressure may rise again.
If you suffer from high blood pressure, exercise can help
you avoid the development of hypertension. If you already have high blood
pressure, regular physical activity can lower your blood pressure to a safer
level.
Walking, jogging, cycling, swimming or dancing are examples
of aerobic exercise that can lower blood pressure. You can also try
high-intensity interval training, which consists of alternating short periods
of intense activity with less recovery periods of lesser activity. Bodybuilding
can also help lower blood pressure. Try to do bodybuilding exercises for at
least two days a week.
3. eat healthy
A diet rich in whole grains, low-fat fruits, vegetables and
dairy, and saturated fat and cholesterol can lower your blood pressure to 11
mmHg if you have high blood pressure. This diet is known as dietary approaches
to stop hypertension (DASH).
It is not easy to change your eating habits, but with these
tips you can eat healthily:
Keep a food diary. If you write what you eat, even for a
week, you can surprisingly highlight your true eating habits. Look at what you
eat, how much, when and why.
Remember to increase the potassium. The best source of
potassium is food such as fruits and vegetables instead of dietary supplements.
Talk to your doctor about the correct potassium level for you.
Be a Smart Shopper Read food labels when shopping, and stick
to your diet when you go out to eat
4. Reduce the sodium in your diet.
Even if you have low blood pressure in your diet.
The effect of sodium intake on blood pressure varies between
groups of people. In general, the sodium limit is 2,300 milligrams (mg) per day
or less. However, lower sodium intake (1,500 mg per day or less) is ideal for
most adults.
Consider the following tips to reduce the sodium content in
your diet:
Read food labels. If possible, choose low-sodium
alternatives to the foods and drinks normally purchased.
Eat less processed foods. In the diet naturally only little
sodium occurs. Most of the sodium is added during processing.
Do not add salt. Only 1 teaspoon of salt contains 2,300 mg
of sodium. Use herbs or spices to flavor your food.
Ease in it. If you do not feel that you can suddenly reduce
the sodium drastically, gradually decrease. Your taste buds will adapt over
time.
5. Limit the amount of alcohol you drink.
Alcohol can be good or bad for your health. If you drink
alcohol in moderation, usually a single drink for a day or a day for men, you
may be able to lower your blood pressure by about 4 mm Hg 80-degree lye.
However, this protective effect is lost if you drink too
much alcohol.
If you drink more than moderate amounts of alcohol, the
blood pressure can rise in several places. It can also decrease the
effectiveness of medication for blood pressure.
6. Finish the tuxedo
Every cigarette you smoke raises your blood pressure for
many minutes after you finish. If you stop smoking, your blood pressure will
return to normal. If you stop smoking, you can reduce the risk of heart disease
and improve your overall health. People who quit smoking can live longer than
people who never stop smoking.
7. Reduce caffeine consumption
The role of caffeine in blood pressure is still debated.
Caffeine can increase blood pressure up to 10 mmHg in people who rarely consume
it. But people who drink their coffee regularly.
Although the long-term effects of caffeine are not clear, it
is possible that blood pressure will rise slightly.
To see if you can raise your blood pressure, check your
blood pressure within 30 minutes after drinking a caffeinated beverage. If your
blood pressure rises to 5 to 10 mmHg, you may be sensitive to the effects of
caffeine, which raises blood pressure.
8. Reduce your stress.
Chronic stress can contribute to high blood pressure.
Further investigation is needed to determine the effects of chronic stress on
blood pressure. Occasional stress can also contribute to high blood pressure if
you respond to stress by eating unhealthy foods, drinking alcohol, or smoking.
Take time to think about the causes of your stress, such as
work, family, finances or illness. If you know what causes your stress,
consider how you can eliminate or reduce stress.
If you can not eliminate all of your stressors, you can at
least be healthier. to attempt:
Change your expectations. Avoid doing too much and learn to
say no. Understand that there are some things that you can not change or
control, but you can focus on how you react.
Focus on the topics you can control and plan. If you have a
conflict with your children or spouse, resolve them.
Avoid stress triggers. Try to avoid triggers if you can. For
example, if the traffic on the way to work is exhausting, try to leave early in
the morning or use public transport. Avoid people who cause stress, if
possible.
Take time to relax and do activities that you like. Take the
time each day to sit down and take a deep breath. Spend time with fun
activities or hobbies in your schedule such as hiking, cooking or volunteering.
To practice gratitude. Gratitude for others can reduce your
stress.
9. Check your blood pressure at home and see a doctor
regularly
Home monitoring can help you control your blood pressure,
make sure lifestyle changes work, and alert you and your doctor to possible
health issues. Tensiometers are widely available and available without a
prescription. Talk to your doctor about home surveillance before you start.
Regular visits to your doctor are also important to control
your blood pressure. If your blood pressure is well controlled, talk to your
doctor about how often you should check it. Your doctor may suggest that you
examine him daily or less frequently. If you make any changes to your
medication or other treatments, your doctor may recommend that you measure your
blood pressure two weeks after switching treatment and one week before your
next appointment.
10. Get help
The family and friends you support can help you improve your
health. You can be encouraged to take care of yourself, see a doctor, or work
with you to keep your blood pressure low.
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