Small changes in diet, exercise, and weight can lower your blood pressure. Learn how.
When was the last time you thought about your blood pressure? If you're like most people, it probably hasn't been since your doctor mentioned it during your last checkup. But high blood pressure (hypertension) is a serious condition that can lead to life-threatening problems, like heart attack and stroke. The good news is that you can lower your risk of hypertension with lifestyle changes.
“All patients should be encouraged to exercise, eat a healthy diet, and manage their weight,” says Mary Ann Forciea, MD, a physician at Penn Medicine in Philadelphia and the chair of the clinical guidelines committee for the American College of Physicians. “There are a variety of strategies to help with these goals, but all require commitment.”
If making lifestyle changes feels overwhelming and you don’t know where to start, don’t worry. We’ve got you covered. These five tips will help you keep your blood pressure at a healthy level.
Lowering your sodium intake is important because sodium increases blood pressure by causing the body to retain excess fluid. This puts an added burden on your heart and puts more pressure on your blood vessels.
Various organizations including the United States Department of Agriculture recommend that Americans consume less than 2,300 milligrams (mg) of sodium per day. But the ideal limit is really no more than 1,500 mg per day for most adults. Unfortunately, the average sodium intake of Americans is more than 3,400 mg per day, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This is partly because sodium is so easy to consume — just 1 teaspoon of salt contains 2,300 mg of sodium.
“Beware of the American Heart Association’s (AHA) 'Salty Six' — six popular foods that can add high levels of sodium to your diet,” says Rachel Johnson, PhD, a professor of nutrition at the University of Vermont in Burlington and the former chair of the AHA’s nutrition committee. The Salty Six include breads and rolls, cold cuts and cured meats, sandwiches, pizza, soup, and chicken.
Dr. Johnson notes that eating foods with potassium is important for controlling blood pressure because potassium slows the effects of sodium. Good sources of potassium include:
If you’re looking for meal ideas with more potassium, the AHA offers the following recipes that have at least two potassium-rich ingredients:
The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, or DASH diet, is an eating plan based on research studies funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health. The DASH diet has been shown to lower high blood pressure and improve cholesterol — two factors that lower your risk of heart disease.
The DASH diet promotes the following:
“Don’t try to change everything at once. Think about what you can manage initially, such as adding a serving of fruit or vegetable every day,” says Johnson. “Once that change becomes a habit you can move on to another heart-healthy change.”
If you’re feeling overwhelmed about how to make changes to your diet or if you’re trying to lose weight, you may want to consider working with a registered dietitian-nutritionist (RDN). Some people work with an RDN if they have a health condition like type 2 diabetes. In fact, high blood pressure is a risk factor for type 2 diabetes. This is partly because they share similar modifiable risk factors, like being overweight or obese, following an unhealthy diet, and having a lack of physical activity.
An RDN can also review your lab results, help you understand your condition, and work with you to create an eating plan to better manage your health conditions.
“I always recommend that people find something that they enjoy doing to stay in shape. For example, line dancing, walking outside, and riding a bike are all good ways to get active,” says Scott Parker, a health and fitness trainer and a national spokesperson for #GoRedGetFit — an online fitness challenge for women hosted by the AHA and Macy’s. “It’s also important to find other people you like doing the activity with, because that helps you stick with it.”
Other exercise options that don’t require a gym membership include body weight exercises, like pushups, squats, and jumping jacks. These exercises can be done at home or outside. For people who like going to the gym or running, these can be good ways to build community, notes Parker. Apps like Fitbit and MapMyRun can be helpful if you like keeping track of your steps, calories burned, weight, or number of miles run.
If you’re interested in working with a personal trainer but are concerned about the cost, Parker notes that trainers don’t have to be expensive. Some trainers offer group sessions that are cheaper than individual training sessions. College students getting degrees in kinesiology, the study of human movement or physical activity, also train people at reduced cost.
One of the most important things that you can do for your blood pressure is to manage your weight. Blood pressure rises as your body weight increases. Even small changes, like losing 10 pounds, can lower your blood pressure. If your goal is to lose weight, you’ll need to watch what you eat and be physically active.
“Begin by eating at home as often as you can and trying new recipes,” recommends Johnson. It’s also important to read nutrition labels. This will help you understand the amount of calories, sodium, fat, and potassium in your food.
If you decide to work with a personal trainer to help you lose weight, Parker recommends that you ask some questions. For example, ask about the trainer’s certifications and how long the person has been a trainer. Also ask about the trainer's prior experience working with people like you in terms of age, gender, body type, and health conditions.
Parker reminds us that life is to be enjoyed. “Find ways to make health and wellness fit into your life — that's when lifestyle changes will become a habit versus an intrusion.”
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