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Is your blood pressure levels too high? Hypertension, a condition in which the blood pressure is excessively high, is linked to serious health problems such as strokes, heart attacks, and thrombosis. “Blood pressure control is 30% medications and 70% lifestyle,” explains preventive cardiologist Luke Laffin. “If you’re not making any changes to your lifestyle, don’t bother taking any blood pressure drugs because they won’t help.” According to specialists, here are five simple ways to avoid high blood pressure.
1 — Manage Stress
Chronic stress, on the other hand, can contribute to high blood pressure and stress-management therapy can aid in lowering it. “If we’re in a tense situation, our bodies’ natural response is to raise blood pressure,” explains Dr. Laffin. “Acute stress can boost your heart rate and stimulate your sympathetic nervous system, causing your blood pressure to rise. The body’s ability to tolerate short periods of elevated blood pressure is good. What we’re concerned about now is chronically elevated blood pressure.”
2 — Don’t Skip Cardio
The benefits of regular exercise on your heart—and blood pressure—are well documented. “Try to fit in a 30-minute activity five or more days a week that increases your heart rate throughout the activity,” advises clinical exercise physiologist Erik Van Iterson. “Or try three 10-min workouts five or more days each week.”
3 — Be Mindful of Salt Intake
Cutting salt intake may reduce blood pressure, according to doctors. The American Heart Association claims that people should consume no more than 2,300 mg of salt each day, with 1,500 mg being ideal. “Cutting your salt intake is one of the most important methods to lower your blood pressure. Low-sodium diets have been found to be as effective as one and a half to two blood pressure medications in reducing blood pressure,” says Dr. Laffin. “The impact difference ranges from 2 to 3 mmHg. At the very least, we recommend consuming less than 1,000 mg of sodium each day. It takes 10 to 14 days to get accustomed to a low-sodium diet; afterwards, certain meals will begin to taste salty.”
4 — Try Intermittent Fasting
Fasting can help lower blood pressure, but you should consult with your doctor before making major changes to your diet. “High cholesterol and blood pressure, diabetes and obesity are four of the most significant heart disease risks.” says cardiologist and endocrinologist Dennis Bruemmer. “If we reduce those, we can minimize the chance of heart disease… whenever we recommend particular diets such as a very low calorie diet or a protein-sparing modified fast diet, these must be followed under medical supervision. We monitor blood tests on a monthly basis and give potassium supplementation to avoid electrolyte imbalance.”
5 — Get Enough Sleep
Getting the required amount of sleep (at least seven hours per night) can help lower blood pressure. “We’re just getting started in understanding how important sleep is,” adds Dr. Laffin. “Getting six to eight hours of continuous sleep each night can prevent high blood pressure and wide fluctuations in blood pressure, which we now know are as harmful as high blood pressure.”
