Exercise, better diet & stress reduction can lower blood pressure.
If you've been diagnosed with high blood pressure--a systolic pressure of 140 or above or a diastolic pressure of 90 or above--or with borderline hypertension, a systolic pressure between 120 and 139 or a diastolic pressure between 80 and 89, your doctor may prescribe blood pressure lowering medication.
There are many ways to manage illness, disorder, and disease. High blood pressure is no joke—don’t take early warning signs lightly. Stay on top of your checkups with your doctor and always follow your doctor’s advice. Surely you can admit that your doctor, among others, has probably mentioned several steps you can take to manage high blood pressure. Among the leading advice, doctor’s often advise their patients to maintain a healthy bodyweight, quit or never start smoking, exercise often and eat well. Sounds simple, eh? Well…it can be. Here a few tips to consider when managing high blood pressure.
Consider these 10 lifestyle changes you can make to maintain healthy blood pressure:
1. Maintain Healthy Body Weight -
Increase in blood pressure and extra body weight go hand-in-hand. Keep an eye on your Body Mass Index. A BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 is considered to be in the healthy range. A person with a BMI of 25 to 29.9 is considered overweight, and a person with a BMI of 30 or more is considered obese. You and your doctor can determine your target weight and the best way to achieve it. Your doctor might recommend that you eat healthier foods, exercise and change self-defeating behaviors, such as late-night snacking, drinking excessively, or large servings at meals.
2. Exercise Regularly -
Regular physical activity--at least 30 to 60 minutes most days of the week--can successfully lower your blood pressure. And it doesn't take long to see a difference. If you've been sedentary, increasing your daily physical activity can help you to lower your blood pressure to a healthy and ideal range. If you have borderline hypertension, exercise can help you avoid developing hypertension. If you already have hypertension, regular physical activity can bring your blood pressure down to safer levels. Your doctor can assist your trainer in developing an exercise program tailored to your needs and medical conditions. Your doctor can help determine whether you need any exercise restrictions. Consistent exercise is favorable to short bursts of activity…steady, progressive exercise is best.
3. Eat a Healthier Diet -
Eating a diet that is rich in whole grains, fruits, lean meats, and lots of vegetables. Stick to the basics and try to consume foods that are high in fiber, antioxidants, vitamin, minerals, and low in saturated fats and cholesterol. This simple step can save your life and can lower your blood pressure. Fruits and vegetables contain generous amounts of vitamins, fiber, and other nutrients including potassium which has proven valuable in battling the effects of sodium in people with hypertension.
4. Reduce Dietary Sodium -
Most healthy adults need only between 1,500 and 2,400 milligrams (mg) of sodium a day. But if you have high blood pressure, are older than 50, are African American, or have such chronic conditions as heart disease, kidney disease or diabetes, you may be more sensitive to sodium. In that case, aim for less than 1,500 mg of sodium a day. Talk with your doctor about the amount of sodium that is right for you.
5. Limit Alcohol Consumption -
Alcohol, in moderation, can be good for your heart health. Obviously, too much alcohol can make you quite ill. Use common sense, listen to your doctor—if your consuming more that a drink or two per day…you may be shortening your life. If you drink more than moderate amounts of it, alcohol can actually raise blood pressure by several points. It can also reduce the effectiveness of high blood pressure medications. If you're a heavy drinker, suddenly eliminating all alcohol can actually trigger severe hypertension for several days. So when you stop drinking, do it with the supervision of your doctor or taper off slowly, over one to two weeks.
6. Stop Smoking! -
On top of all the other dangers of smoking, according to the Mayo Clinic, the nicotine in tobacco products can raise your blood pressure by 10 mm Hg or more for up to an hour after you smoke. Smoking throughout the day means your blood pressure may remain constantly high. In addition, chemicals in tobacco can damage your arteries and cause fluid retention, both of which can raise your blood pressure. And like alcohol, tobacco products can interfere with the effectiveness of your blood pressure medications. It still amazes me that tobacco is legal. Tobacco use is linked to many diseases, illnesses, and disorders. In fact, tobacco use makes us ill by the millions…no way to sweeten this up—tobacco use kills.
7. Use Caffeine Sparingly -
Caffeine, in some, can cause a spike in your blood pressure. Talk with your doctor about increased blood pressure as a result of consistent caffeine use. If it is a problem for you—stop, or at lease cut down to lower than 200 mg per day.
8. Reduce Stress -
Tough to avoid…we all have stress. Learning to manage stress can help all of us live more productive, healthier, lives. Stress or anxiety can temporarily increase blood pressure. Manage stress via exercise and enjoyable activity. Try a yoga class, ask your trainer about stress reducing exercise programs…often folks can reduce their stress level within just a few minutes. Most of us only ‘go around’ once…make the best of it—be healthy.
9. Schedule Regular Health Care Screenings -
If you have high blood pressure, you may need to monitor your blood pressure at home. Learning to self-monitor your blood pressure with an upper arm monitor can help motivate you. Talk to your doctor about home monitoring. Regular visits to your doctor are also likely to become a part of your normal routine. These visits will help keep tabs on your blood pressure --and ensure that you don't neglect other health concerns. If your blood pressure is under control, you might need to visit your doctor only every six to 12 months, depending on other conditions you might have. People who have frequent blood pressure checks at their doctor's office are more likely to control their blood pressure than are those who go a year or more between visits.
10. Take Advantage of a Support System -
Supportive family and friends can help improve your health. Family members, a friend, even your trainer can help you to keep up with doctor’s appointments, medications, and compliance with your efforts to manage or lower your high blood pressure. We all need a coach, a mentor, a friend, and people who care about us. If you do have these people in your life—embrace them. Allow your support group to help you!
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