Blood pressure often increases as weight increases. Being overweight can also cause disturbed breathing while you sleep (apnea), which further raises the blood pressure.
Weight loss is one of the most effective lifestyle changes to control blood pressure. Losing just 10 pounds (4.5 kilograms) can help reduce blood pressure.
Besides relief pounds, generally need to keep an eye on your waistline. Carrying too much weight around your waist can put you at higher risk of high blood pressure.
Basically:
Men are at risk if their waist circumference greater than 40 inches (102 cm).
Women are at risk if their waist circumference greater than 35 inches (89 centimeters).
These figures vary among ethnic groups. Ask your doctor about a healthy waist circumference for you.
2. Exercise regularly
Regular physical activity - at least 30 minutes most days of the week - can lower blood pressure 4-9 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg). It is important to be consistent, because if you stop exercising, your blood pressure may again grow.
If you have a little high blood pressure (prehypertension), exercise can help you avoid developing full-blown hypertension. If you already have hypertension, regular physical activity can bring blood pressure to safer levels.
The best types of exercise for lowering blood pressure include walking, running, cycling, swimming or dancing. strength training can help reduce blood pressure. Talk to your doctor about developing an exercise program.
3. Eat a healthy diet
Food that is rich in whole grains, fruits, vegetables and low fat dairy products and stingy on saturated fat and cholesterol can lower your blood pressure to 14 mm Hg. This diet plan is known as the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet.
It is not easy to change your eating habits, but with these tips, you can adopt a healthy diet:
Pay attention to the food diary. Writing down what you eat, even for just a week, can shed surprising light on the right eating habits. Monitor what you eat, how much, when and why.
Consider increasing potassium. Potassium can reduce the effects of sodium on blood pressure. The best source of potassium foods, such as fruits and vegetables, not supplements. Talk to your doctor about the level of potassium that is best for you.
Be a smart shopper. Read food labels when you shop and stick to your healthy eating plan when the evening, too.
4. Reduce sodium in your diet
Even a small reduction of sodium in your diet may reduce the blood pressure of 2-8 mm Hg.
The effect of sodium intake on blood pressure varies among groups of people. In general, limit sodium to less than 2,300 milligrams (mg) a day or less. However, less intake of sodium - 1,500 mg per day or less - is suitable for people with higher salt sensitivity, including:
Afro-Americans
Anyone age 51 or older
Anyone diagnosed with high blood pressure, diabetes or chronic kidney disease
To reduce the sodium in your diet, consider these tips:
Read the labels of food. If possible, choose low-sodium alternatives from food and drink usually buy.
Eat less processed food. Only a small amount of sodium occurs naturally in food. Most sodium is added during processing.
Do not add salt. Only 1 level teaspoon of salt has 2,300 mg of sodium. Use herbs and spices to add flavor to food.
Ease into it. If you feel you can drastically reduce the sodium in your diet suddenly, cut back gradually. Your taste buds will adjust over time.
5. Limit the amount of alcohol you drink
Alcohol can be both good and bad for your health. In small quantities, has the potential to reduce blood pressure of 2-4 mm Hg.
But that protective effect is lost if you drink too much alcohol - usually more than one drink a day for women and for men older than 65, or more than two a day for men 65 and younger. One drink equals 12 ounces of beer, five grams of wine or 1.5 grams of 80-proof liquor.
Drink more than moderate amounts of alcohol can actually raise blood pressure by several points. It can also reduce the effectiveness of blood pressure medications.
6. Stop Smoking
Every cigarette you smoke increases the blood pressure for many minutes after you finish. Quitting smoking helps return blood pressure to normal. People who quit smoking, regardless of age, have a significant increase in life expectancy.
7. Cut back on caffeine
The role caffeine plays in blood pressure is still debated. Caffeine can increase blood pressure by as much as 10 mm Hg in people who rarely consume it, but has little or no strong effect on blood pressure in the common drinking coffee.
Although the effects of chronic caffeine intake on blood pressure are unclear, the possibility of a slight increase in blood pressure there.
Let's see if caffeine raises blood pressure, check the pressure within 30 minutes of drinking caffeinated beverages. If your blood pressure increases by 5 to 10 mm Hg, can be sensitive to the blood pressure raising effects of caffeine. Talk to your doctor about the effects of caffeine on blood pressure.
8. Reduce stress
Chronic stress is an important contribution to high blood pressure. Regularly stress can contribute to high blood pressure, if you react to stress by eating junk food, drink alcohol or smoke.
Take some time to think about what causes you to feel stressed, such as work, family, finances or illness. Once you know what is causing your stress, consider how you can eliminate or reduce stress.
If you can not eliminate all of your stressors, you can at least deal with them in a healthier way. Try:
Change your expectations. Give yourself time to get things done. Learn to say no and to live within the limits manage. Try to learn to accept the things I can not change.
Think about the problems under your control and make a plan to address them. You could talk to your boss about problems at work or family members about the problems at home.
Get to know your stress triggers. Avoid anything that causes you. For example, spend less time with people who are called to mind or to avoid driving in rush hour traffic.
Make time to relax and do activities you enjoy. Take 15 to 20 minutes a day to sit quietly and breathe deeply. Try to intentionally enjoy what they do and do not hurry through your "leisure activities" in stressful pace.
Practice gratitude. Expressing gratitude to others can help reduce the stressful thoughts.
9. Monitor blood pressure at home and regular doctor
home monitoring can help you keep tabs on your blood pressure, make certain lifestyle changes are working, and alert you and your doctor to potential health complications. Monitor blood pressure are widely available without a prescription. Talk to your doctor about home monitoring before you start.
Regular visits to your doctor are key to controlling blood pressure. If your blood pressure is under control, it may be necessary to visit your doctor only every six to 12 months, depending on other conditions that you have. If not well controlled blood pressure, your doctor will probably want to see you more often.
10. Get Support
The support of family and friends can help improve your health. They can encourage you to take care of themselves, driving to the office or go on an exercise program with you to make your own low blood pressure.
If you find you need support outside of family and friends, consider joining a support group. It can connect you with people who can give you emotional or morale boost and who can offer practical advice to cope with their condition.
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