LENGKONG, AYOBANDUNG.COM – There are many simple ways to lower blood pressure that you can do yourself at home. Some of them are changing your lifestyle and diet to be healthier. Although it sounds trivial, these methods are very effective for lowering and controlling blood pressure.
Lifestyle plays an important role in lowering high blood pressure (hypertension). That is, if hypertensive sufferers able to adopt a healthy lifestyle, their blood pressure can drop significantly and the risk of complications can be reduced, even without them needing to take medication.
Simple Ways to Lower Blood Pressure
If you are among those who suffer from hypertension, here are a few simple way to lower blood pressure as quoted from Alodokter.com (Ayobandung.com network):
1. Do regular exercise
Exercise can strengthen the heart muscle, so that the pressure on the blood vessels is reduced and blood flow becomes smoother. It is recommended that you exercise for 30 minutes, 3-4 times per week.
If you don’t have time to exercise, it’s okay as long as you’re active. Examples are taking the time to walk, climb stairs, or even clean the house.
2. Quit smoking
If you smoke, you should stop this bad habit from now on. The reason is, smoking can cause damage, inflammation, and narrowing of blood vessels which in turn causes blood pressure to increase gradually.
Not only for yourself, smoking can also harm the health of other people who inhale secondhand smoke (passive smoking).
3. Limit consumption of alcohol and caffeine
Consuming excessive alcohol and caffeine has been linked to high blood pressure. So, limit your alcohol intake to at least 1 glass a day for women and 2 glasses a day for men, and reduce your caffeine intake, especially for those of you who are more sensitive to caffeine.
4. Meet the need for rest
Being used to sleeping poorly and not getting enough rest can affect blood pressure. Therefore, people who experience sleep disorders are usually more at risk of developing hypertension in the long term.
There are many easy ways to get enough rest by sleeping for about 7–9 hours a day, such as exercising during the day, avoiding naps, and creating a comfortable bedroom atmosphere.
5. Consume healthy and nutritious foods
Simple way to lower blood pressure which can also be applied is to eat healthy and nutritious foods. Healthy diet recommended for hypertensive sufferers is a DASH diet.
The basic rules for following this diet include:
- Reduce consumption of foods high in total fat, saturated fat, sugar, salt and carbohydrates
- Increase consumption of fruits, vegetables and whole grains
- Increase high intake of potassium, calcium and magnesium, such as nuts, low-fat dairy products, fish, bananas, avocados, potatoes, tomatoes, and spinach
6. Limit salt intake
One of the main causes of high blood pressure is eating foods high in salt. Food sources high in salt usually come from packaged foods.
So, to ensure that blood pressure remains stable, it is recommended that you always check the food label on the product to find out how much salt is used. To be on the safe side, prepare your own meals by limiting your salt intake to just about 1 teaspoon (2,300mg) per day.
7. Manage stress well
Stress also affects emotions and blood pressure in the body. What’s more, prolonged stress can have a negative impact on your lifestyle so you are at high risk of increasing blood pressure. So, always try to manage stress well, especially when plans don’t go as expected.
There are many ways to reduce stress or calm your mind, such as being diligent about practicing your breathing, taking a scenic walk, reading a book, watching a comedy movie, or listening to calming music.
If various simple way to lower blood pressure what has been mentioned above is still not successful in overcoming the hypertension that you are experiencing, you should consult a doctor to get treatment before dangerous complications occur.
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