5 Steps to follow for a Healthy Blood Pressure
How do I lower my blood pressure?
Blood pressure depends on how much blood the heart is pumping out. High blood pressure nowadays is a common health issue that people are likely to face. High blood pressure can also be termed as hypertension. It is a situation where blood flows through veins at a high rate of demand. It is asymptomatic but is usually a major cause for heart attack or stroke. It is found that about one in three U.S adults appeared to have high blood pressure and about one billion people worldwide.
A change in lifestyle can act as a massive step in lowering blood pressure. Many different things can be done to reduce blood pressure without much medication in a natural way:
1. Reducing or managing stress
People with a life of hectic schedule, often suffer from stress. When a person is in stress, physically, the heart rate fastens, leading to high blood pressure. Some of the things that you can implement are described below:
a) Working less than usual and giving yourself the rest you deserve can be of great help. First, you need to figure out what is exactly causing the stress then try to find a way to eliminate it. Take time to relax and engage in activities you love.
b) Listening to music has its benefits. Looking to calm, peaceful and soothing music is a great way to deal with stress.
c) It is found that practicing gratitude can also help to manage stress.
2. Regular exercise.
If you are overweight, it is recommended to lose a few pounds. Being overweight increases the risk of high blood pressure because it can disrupt breathing while sleeping, causing a rise in your blood pressure.
Losing weight has proved to be a great way to lower blood pressure. If you can, join a gym or workout at home regularly, do physical activities more. It is essential to stay consistent once you start exercising; the blood pressure will rise again if you stop using it.
You can include strength training in your exercise plan, and you can also go for aerobic exercises like walking, dancing, and jogging.
3. Maintaining a healthy diet.
Eating healthy is a crucial factor. Lowering the intake of refined carbohydrates, sodium, and sugar and having a diet rich in fresh vegetables and fruits, whole grains, and low-fat dairy products is beneficial. It will bring down the blood pressure level to an extent.
Potassium is an essential mineral that helps to reduce the effect of sodium on blood pressure. Taking potassium in the form of food is better than supplements. Having a track of the things you have eaten and writing down your diet plan is worth it. Staying consistent might be hard, but if you can keep up with it, the results will be surprising; your blood pressure level will surely start to go down.
4. Reduce alcohol consumption and stop smoking.
Alcohol consumption can raise blood pressure. So, it is suggested to lower the intake of alcohol. Drinking alcohol in moderation is okay, that is one drink a day for women and two drink a day for men. As per research, having more than that can raise the levels and lower the effectiveness of the blood pressure medicines you may take.
It is a fact that people who quit smoking live longer than those who smoke. Stopping it will lower your blood pressure and protect you from other dangerous diseases such as heart disease and improve your overall health.
5. Practicing meditation and yoga.
Meditating and doing yoga is a great way to control or lower blood pressure levels. Meditation and practicing mindfulness will help you relax and slow the heart rate, which will lower blood pressure. It not only reduces blood pressure but also stresses. One can try deep breathing, too; it is quite a quick way to reduce blood pressure levels. People often join programs of meditation and mindfulness to enjoy its benefits.
These are just some of the few ways to lower blood pressure. You must monitor your blood pressure at home or visit your doctor frequently to keep track of it.
