Master the Art of Lowering Blood Pressure

Maintaining all your parameters within normal limits is essential to keep your bodies healthy. Be it your vitals, blood pressure, blood sugar, hemoglobin levels, etc. If your blood pressure levels are higher than 130/90 mm Hg, then as per American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology guidelines, you are said to be hypertensive.Hypertension is a very common lifestyle disease, and an estimated 26% of the world’s population is said to be hypertensive. This condition is called the ‘silent killer’ because it does not cause any symptoms but significantly increases your risk for heart diseases and stroke.

How to Reduce Blood Pressure Levels?

If you have been diagnosed with high blood pressure levels, there is no need to panic. Making small changes to your lifestyle and diet can help bring down your numbers and enable you to lead a healthy, normal life. Here are some tips on how to lower blood pressure!

Lifestyle Changes

• • Maintain a healthy weight

    If you wish to lower your high blood pressure levels, you must watch your weight. Blood pressure increases when you are overweight or obese. Losing even a small amount of weight has a significant impact on lowering your blood pressure. Men must keep their waist measurement lower than 40 inches, whereas women must ensure to keep theirs below 35 inches.

  • Regular exercise

    Getting 30 minutes of exercise every day or a total of 150 minutes of exercise during the week is recommended as it can lower your blood pressure levels by 5 to 8 mm Hg and help you maintain your blood pressure levels within normal limits. Aerobic exercises like walking, jogging, cycling, etc., are highly effective.

• Quit smoking

  Smoking increases blood pressure levels. If you are hypertensive, it is recommended that you quit the habit.

• Beat stress

  Another culprit that causes high blood pressure levels is chronic stress. If you are wondering how to reduce blood pressure, the first thing to do is to identify the stressors in your life and eliminate them. Practising meditation, yoga, and mindfulness are also effective in lowering your blood pressure.

Dietary Changes

Apart from lifestyle changes, your eating habits and Indian diet plan for high blood pressure play a significant role in the development and management of hypertension. Here are some dietary changes that are effective in lowering your blood pressure levels.

• • Reduce your sodium intake

    Though we need sodium for various functions in the body, an excess of it can cause high blood pressure. If you are hypertensive, reduce or limit your sodium intake to keep your numbers within normal limits.

  • Limit alcohol consumption

    Drinking in excess has been associated with high blood pressure. So if you are looking up how to lower high blood pressure, limiting your alcohol intake is a good place to begin.

• Follow a DASH diet

  A DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet is highly recommended to reduce high blood pressure levels. The main rules to follow in the diet include reducing the consumption of:

  • Foods rich in saturated fats
  • Processes foods
  • Sugar
  • Salt
  • Saturated carbohydrates
  • Caffeine

In Conclusion,

If you are hypertensive and are wondering about how to reduce blood pressure, you are not alone! Follow your doctor’s advice, take your medications and follow a healthy lifestyle. For more information on how to lower blood pressure and effective hypertension management tips, visit BP in Control for the latest information related to hypertension and its prevention.

Note of Caution: This article is for information purpose only. Always consult your doctor in case of any blood pressure or other health-related problems.