Take Charge of Your Blood Pressure with These Lifestyle Tips

How to Manage Your Blood Pressure at Home

High blood pressure is a common condition in the United States. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, almost half of all Americans have hypertension.

People with high blood pressure should seek professional advice from a clinician. There are also several lifestyle changes you can make right at home to help manage your blood pressure.

1. Maintain a Healthy Diet and Exercise

Eating a well-balanced diet that limits excess saturated fats and salt is critical to giving our heart the nutrients it needs to function the way it is supposed to. In addition, eating foods rich in potassium, calcium and magnesium is important for a heart-healthy diet.

A good, heart-healthy diet should include the following:

• Leafy greens like spinach and kale
• Whole grains like oats and brown rice
• Healthy fats from avocados and nuts
• Lean proteins from poultry and fish

The DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet can help prevent and treat high blood pressure by limiting salt. The standard DASH diet limits salt to less than 2,300 milligrams of sodium or salt per day. Reading nutritional labels on the back of food and beverages can help you keep track of how much sodium you are consuming daily.

Regular exercise can also help lower blood pressure by strengthening the heart and reducing strain on the blood vessels. Activities that get your heart rate up (like dancing, bicycling, swimming and running) are all great for your long-term heart health.

2. Quit Smoking and Cut Back on Alcohol

As strong as our bodies are, they can also be quite delicate; regular consumption of tobacco and excess alcohol can have serious long-term effects on our heart health.

High amounts of alcohol can cause blood vessels to constrict, increasing the amount of force needed to pump blood throughout our bodies. Smoking can have a stimulating effect on the heart, increasing our heart rate and leading to higher blood pressure.

Quitting – or reducing – consumption of tobacco and alcohol may help reverse these processes and keep our hearts functioning the way they’re supposed to. Other health benefits include better diet, improved sleep quality and more consistent exercise.

Consider reaching out to your doctor if you need help reducing alcohol consumption and/or tobacco cessation.

3. Bring Your Stress Levels Under Control

Anyone who’s dealt with stress knows the heart-pounding feeling that comes with it. It’s no secret that chronic stress and anxiety can increase blood pressure.

Finding healthy ways to cope with stress can help improve blood pressure.

Consider giving the following stress management techniques a try:

• Mindfulness
• Journaling
• Going for a walk
• Breathing exercises
• Talking to a trusted friend or family member

Stress is a whole-body experience and the lifestyle practices described above (diet and exercise, quitting tobacco and reducing alcohol consumption) can help reduce stress and lower blood pressure.