Many people who are diagnosed with high blood pressure mistakenly believe they will need to take medication for the rest of their lives. And while medications may be necessary at least temporarily to address elevated levels of blood pressure, there are many methods available to you that will allow you to take matters in your own hands and guarantee better blood pressure readings in the future.
Healthy Diet
Your blood pressure can be lowered significantly by choosing healthy foods to eat on a regular basis. You should eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains if you wish to either avoid medication or one day no longer need your current medications to regulate your blood pressure. Likewise, you should avoid food high in saturated fats and bad cholesterol.
Changing the way you eat will not be an easy task but doing things like keeping a food diary and reading food levels can help you master this challenge with time.
Get More Exercise
Exercising four or five times per week for thirty minutes or more has been proven to help control levels of blood pressure. It is important to remember that consistency is key, however, as individuals who use exercise to lower their blood pressure can experience a spike in blood pressure if they suddenly stop exercising. Aerobic exercises that have proven helpful at lowering blood pressure include:
- Walking
- Swimming
- Cycling
- Jogging
- Dancing
Strength training and high-intensity interval training have also proven helpful to some sufferers of high blood pressure.
Lose Weight
Overweight and obese people are more likely to experience problems with their blood pressure than people who maintain a healthy weight for their bodies. It has also been observed that an increase in blood pressure often correlates directly with a weight increase. Excess weight can also lead to breathing disorders and sleep apnea that can further exacerbate any problems with your blood pressure.
Losing weight is a lifestyle change that is extremely effective at helping to control your blood pressure. Even small amounts of weight have proven to pay dividends. You can expect to lose about one mm of mercury on your blood pressure reading for every two pounds of bodyweight you lose.
In addition to your body weight, the size of your waist will likely play a role in blood pressure. Generally speaking:
- Men with waist measurements more than 40 inches should begin to trim some inches from their middle.
- Women with waists that measure in at greater than 35 inches are also at higher risk for elevated blood pressure readings.
Manage Stress
Eliminating as much chronic stress from your life as possible will pay dividends at future readings of your blood pressure. The effects of stress on your blood pressure are even more pronounced if you are a person that responds to bad feelings by eating bad food.
The first step to managing the chronic stress that plagues you is to take a moment to think about the sources of your stress. Possible stressors include work, school, family, and financial responsibilities. Once you are aware of all the things that are negatively affecting your stress levels, you can begin to reduce the stress you experience.
Live Cleaner
Taken as a whole, the home remedies available to you simply mean living a cleaner and healthier lifestyle. A cleaner life will lower your blood pressure and pay huge benefits to your overall health and happiness. Major tenets of a clean and healthy lifestyle include:
- Stop smoking cigarettes and tobacco-related products.
- Increase the amount of exercise you get.
- Make sure you get enough Vitamin D.
- Maintain the shape and weight of your body.
- Build and maintain a strong social network.
- Challenge your mind on a daily basis.
- Eat a healthy and balanced diet.
- Work with your doctor to maintain your optimal health.