People make use of medications to bring down the levels of high blood pressure and maintain it to normal levels. High blood pressure potentiates the risk of heart disease which is why it needs to be controlled. You may wonder if managing your blood pressure without medications is possible. The answer to this is yes. It can certainly be achieved by controlling your lifestyle. You can inculcate some lifestyle changes and keep your blood pressure in check naturally.
7 Ways to Lower Your Blood Pressure Naturally
Blood pressure is the force at which your heart pumps blood into the arteries. The blood moves forcefully through the arteries when the blood pressure is high which increases pressure on the delicate tissues of your arteries and causes damage to the blood vessels. It is necessary to reduce blood pressure which can be achieved with the help of natural ways that are listed below:
Get Yourself Moving
Regular exercise improves your cardiovascular endurance and makes your heart stronger. A healthy heart can effortlessly pump more amounts of blood with less force and strain on the arteries. Due to the decreased force on the arteries, the blood pressure gets reduced.
You should engage in daily exercising for at least 30 minutes per day. Performing aerobic exercises as simple as walking, brisk walking, running, swimming, or cycling can be beneficial for bringing down blood pressure to normal levels. It also helps you to maintain healthy body weight and keep diseases at bay.
Exercising can take up to 1 to 3 months to have an impact on your blood pressure. If you continue your exercise routine, its effects will be long-lasting, and its benefits will be reaped for as long as you continue to exercise.
Invest In a Healthy, Nutritious Diet
Diets that are sodium-rich or loaded with high amounts of unhealthy fats are detrimental to your blood pressure. Processed food contains unhealthy ingredients and is usually high in calories, canned food is loaded with sugars, artificial sweeteners, and preservatives whereas fast food contain refined flour, sugars, excessive amounts of salt, unhealthy fats, etc. which can have damaging effect on your health. Unhealthy food potentiates the risk of high cholesterol, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and other complications.
- Fruits and dark green leafy vegetables
- Whole grains meals
- Nuts and fishes
- Low-fat dairy products and lean meat
- Beans and lentils
- Eggs and chicken
- Lots of vegetables like cauliflower, carrots, cucumber, tomatoes, etc.
You must include these foods also which causes health issues.
- Limit Your Salt Intake
Salt causes water retention in your body. Excessive amounts of salt lead to extra water in your blood which increases pressure on your blood vessels by straining their walls. As a result, it raises your blood pressure. Too much salt can raise your blood pressure to dangerous levels which increases the risk of heart disease, kidney disease, stroke, and some types of dementia.
Lowering your salt intake will allow the blood pressure medicines to perform optimally as makes the kidneys eliminate excess fluids from your body.
Maintain a Healthy Body Weight
Weight gain and obesity is a challenging situation that is characteristic of excessive fat deposition in various parts of the body. It leads to hormonal imbalances, endothelial dysfunction, and physical inactivity. Weight gain causes access deposition of fats or plaque formation in the passages of the blood vessels and is responsible for clogging or narrowing the vascular system. It further causes the blockage of blood supply to different areas of the body. This is why you need to do portion control and consume low-calorie meals.
Smoking Cessation
Smoking causes an instant increase in your blood pressure and leads to acute blood pressure fluctuations. The sudden spike due to cigarettes can cause damage to your heart and blood vessels by activating your synaptic nervous system. After smoking, you become alert and feel tense which leads to a rise in your blood pressure and pulse. It increases the heart rate which is extremely detrimental and potentiates the risk of chronic heart conditions.
The harmful chemicals present in the smoke can lead to plaque formation or deposition of fatty substances in the arteries that clog their passages and blocks the flow of blood through them. This condition is known as atherosclerosis which needs to be treated otherwise it can lead to heart attack and stroke. Therefore, it is imperative to give up smoking as early as possible.
Alcohol Abstinence
Consuming too much alcohol regularly can increase your blood pressure. Individuals diagnosed with hypertension or high blood pressure must limit their alcohol consumption. Excessive drinking can result in chronic blood pressure abnormalities as it can affect the muscles in the walls of your blood vessels. It makes the blood vessels narrow and impairs vascular function. Individuals over 35 years of age must limit their alcohol consumption, or it is even better to have it occasionally.
Learn to Manage Stress
Stress is a part of life, and it can help you to get things done but from a health perspective, it can be damaging. You may feel down or anxious, and that is normal too for a while. However, feeling stressed persistently can have an adverse impact on your heart health as it causes short-term spikes in your blood pressure.
You can manage the symptoms of stress and anxiety by giving up caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine. In addition, meditation and some mindfulness practices can prove to be incredibly beneficial in lowering your stress and anxiety levels.
Stress Relieving Activities
Some stress-relieving activities can certainly help you to maintain your blood pressure in the normal range. Ways of managing stress include:
- Deep breathing exercises and meditation
- Enough rest and plenty of sleep
- Simplify your schedule by eliminating unnecessary activities and preparing a concise to-do list.
Blood Pressure Medicines
There is an availability of a range of blood pressure medicines. If hypertension can be reversed through natural ways and techniques, why do you need to rely on such external treatments? These natural ways of controlling your blood pressure not only eliminate the risk of heart disease but also prevents other health conditions like diabetes, high cholesterol, cardiovascular diseases, sexual dysfunction, and liver or kidney disorders.