If you’ve been diagnosed with high blood pressure, it may be time to make some changes to your lifestyle that can bring your numbers down without medication. Here, we’ve pulled together some blood pressure lowering tips that you can adopt to lower your levels and lead a generally healthier and happier life.
Exercise Regularly
By raising your heart rate through exercise, or even through use of men’s and women’s sex toys, you can lower your blood pressure by about 5-8 mm Hg if you have high blood pressure. Engaging in 150 minutes of pulse-raising activity a week consistently is important to lower blood pressure levels and help you to generally lead a healthy life. High blood pressure can increase your risk of getting certain medical conditions in the future, so engaging in walking, jogging, cycling, swimming or even strength training a couple of times a week can help you to lower blood pressure.
Eat a Healthy Diet
Eating a diet that’s rich in whole grains, fruits, vegetables and dairy products and skimps on saturated fat and cholesterol can help you to lower your blood pressure by up to 11 mm Hg if your blood pressure is high. We know it’s not easy to change your diet so drastically, but by keeping a food diary and writing down everything you eat in a week can help you to see your true eating habits and you can see where you can make better choices. Even making small changes like increasing potassium to lessen the effect of sodium on blood pressure or reading the labels when food shopping can help you make better choices.
Limit Alcohol
Alcohol is known to be bad for your health, however it can also be good! By drinking just one alcoholic beverage a day for women, or two for men, you can potentially lower your blood pressure by about 4 mm Hg if you have high blood pressure. Although, if you already drink too much alcohol, the effect is lost. Drinking more than moderate amounts of alcohol can raise your blood pressure by several points so it’s important to cut down significantly if you’re a heavy drinker.
Reduce Stress
Stress is directly linked to high blood pressure. If you’re stressed, this may be the reason why your blood pressure is so high. To reduce your stress, take time to think about what may be causing the stress in your life such as work, family, finances etc. and how you can eliminate or reduce stress. Ways to help reduce stress are:
- To change your expectations to focus on your priorities and avoid taking on too much.
- Focus on the things you can control and make plans to solve them.
- Avoid stress triggers like rush hour traffic or certain people.
- Make more time for yourself and to do things you enjoy, whether that’s an activity, a hobby or some self-care pampering.
- Write down your thoughts and feelings and practice gratitude every day to help you look on the brighter side and reduce your stress.
