Lifestyle Changes that Help Prevent Heart Disease

Use these easy ways to lower blood pressure

With new high blood pressure guidelines, an additional 30 million Americans now have high blood pressure. Now, with a total of 103.3 million Americans facing “the silent killer,” lifestyle modifications to reduce high blood pressure are more important than ever. Because high blood pressure can lead to heart disease, controlling it is of the utmost importance. Here are five easy ways to lower blood pressure.

Weight Loss

Weight loss is one of the most effective lifestyle changes you can make to control your blood pressure. Blood pressure often increases as weight increases. Being overweight can cause disrupted breathing during sleep (also known as sleep apnea), which raises blood pressure even further. Additionally, carrying too much weight around your waist (more than 40 inches for men and 35 inches for women) can put you at a greater risk. Losing just 10 pounds can help reduce your blood pressure.

Regular Exercise

At least 30 minutes of regular physical activity most days of the week is one of the best ways to reduce high blood pressure. However, consistency is important here. If you stop exercising, your blood pressure can rise again. Some of the best types of exercise for reducing blood pressure are walking, jogging, cycling, swimming, dancing or strength training.  Consider joining a gym or taking a 30-minute walk each day.

Healthy Diet/Low Sodium

Eating whole grains, fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy products as well as watching sodium intake are easy ways to lower blood pressure. At the same time, try to cut down on saturated fats and cholesterol. For many of us, changing eating habits is easier said than done. A great way to spur positive change is to make a food diary. Start by writing down what you eat for one week to get a better picture of what you eat, how much, when and why.

Additionally, aim to boost your potassium intake. Potassium can lessen the effects of sodium on blood pressure. In general, try to limit sodium to less than 2,300 mg a day. Even a small reduction in the sodium in your diet can lower your blood pressure. Be sure to read food labels when you shop and choose low-sodium alternatives and fewer processed foods. From there, avoid adding additional salt.

Limit Alcohol Consumption

In small amounts, alcohol can potentially lower your blood pressure. But that protective effect is lost if you drink too much alcohol—more than one drink a day for women and men older than 65, or more than two drinks a day for men 65 and younger. One drink is the equivalent of 12 ounces of beer, five ounces of wine or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof liquor.  Drinking any more than these moderate amounts of alcohol can raise blood pressure by several points. Meanwhile, it also reduces the effectiveness of blood pressure medications.

Find Ways to Reduce Stress

Chronic stress is a big contributor to high blood pressure.  Even occasional stress can contribute to high blood pressure if you react to stress by eating unhealthy food, drinking alcohol or smoking.  Examine the causes of your stress. Is it family, work, finances, illness? Once you determine what’s causing your stress, you can take steps to eliminate or reduce it.

Once you start making lifestyle changes, we recommend monitoring your blood pressure at home. And while making major changes can be beneficial, it’s often just as effective to take change one small step at a time. Try just one of these easy ways to lower blood pressure, and then after you do it consistently, add in another one.

Before making any major lifestyle changes, you should speak with your primary care doctor. If you need a primary care physician or you want to learn more about ways to reduce high blood pressure, call 513-952-5000 to find a Mercy Health doctor near you today.