Your blood pressure measurement indicates the pressure that your blood puts on the walls of your arteries as it flows from your heart to the rest of your body. When this pressure is higher than average, it puts you at an increased risk of a heart attack or stroke. However, there are things you can do to help decrease your blood pressure or prevent it from ever becoming high. These ten simple lifestyle modifications could help you live a longer and healthier life.
1) Maintain a good sleep pattern:
There is some evidence that poor quality sleep causes an increase in blood pressure. While this is still contentious, there are many other health benefits to making sure that you sleep for the right amount of hours at the correct times. Try to get between seven and a half to nine hours of sleep each night, and try to go to bed at some time between 9 pm and 12 am.
2) Exercise regularly:
Cardiovascular exercise, if done multiple times a week, will slowly lower your blood pressure to a potentially significant degree. Ideally, you should aim to exercise at least five days each week for periods of no less than a half hour. Types of exercise that are proven to yield blood pressure benefits include cycling, aerobics, swimming, and brisk walking.
3) Reduce salt intake:
More than five or six grams of salt each day can raise blood pressure, and most people do eat more than this recommended amount. Perhaps surprisingly, a lot of your daily salt intake comes in the prepared food that you buy, so start checking the salt content of things like cereal, soup, and microwaveable meals. In addition, when you are cooking or eating you can try to replace salt with herbs and spices (such as chili or garlic) to add flavor to your meal.
4) Do not smoke:
When you smoke, your heartbeat increases and your blood vessels constrict. This raises your blood pressure. If you stop smoking, this will not only help lower your blood pressure but will also lower your overall risk of developing heart disease or having a heart attack.
5) Avoid saturated fat:
Eating a diet low in saturated fat means trying to avoid an excess of things like cheese, butter, and full-fat milk. Try replacing butter with low-fat spreads, drinking fat-free milk and eating reduced fat yogurt.
6) Eat plenty of fruit and vegetables:
Make sure that you have a good intake of fruit and vegetables, which means eating no less than five portions a day. This should be a mix of different fruits and vegetable, and if you opt for dried or canned fruits and vegetables then remember to check the added amounts of salt and fats before buying.
7) Try relaxation techniques:
Stress raises blood pressure, so try learning new ways to relax. Some people find meditation helpful, while others benefit from learning biofeedback techniques. When you do find a way to make yourself feel particularly calm and relaxed, do your best to use this method at least once a day.
8. Monitor your alcohol intake:
If you regularly drink a lot, you can lower your blood pressure if you reduce your alcohol intake to no greater than the recommended amount for your gender (which is under 21 units a week for men, and under 14 units a week for women).
9) Drink less caffeine:
Current research suggests that caffeine does not influence blood pressure to a great extent, so cutting down caffeine will only make a small difference. Ideally, however, you should have no more than five cups of coffee each day.
10) Maintain a healthy weight:
Keeping your weight within healthy limits has been shown to reduce blood pressure. If you are overweight, the most realistic and sensible way to correct this is by monitoring your calorie intake and your fat intake at the same time as increasing the amount of exercise you do per week.
If you have healthy blood pressure now, taking note of the ten suggestions above may help prevent you from developing high blood pressure in the future. If you already have high blood pressure, then combine these lifestyle modifications with any medication that your doctor prescribes. Whatever your situation, remember to have your blood pressure checked at least once a year.
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