5 Ways to Lower Your Hypertension Without Medication.
Hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, is a condition in which the force of the blood against the artery walls is too high. Left untreated, hypertension can lead to heart attack or stroke.
Here are 5 ways you can lower your hypertension without medication:
- Eat healthy foods that are low in fat and sodium. The DASH diet has been shown to lower blood pressure by 20 points or more.
- Lose weight if you're overweight or obese.
- Exercise regularly.
- Reduce stress. Breathing exercises and yoga have been shown to help lower your blood pressure even after a stressful event has occurred.
- Limit alcohol consumption to no more than one drink per day for women and two drinks per day for men.
What is hypertension?
Hypertension is a condition in which the force of the blood against the artery walls is too high. Left untreated, hypertension can lead to heart attack or stroke.
A person can have hypertension without knowing it because there are no symptoms. It is typically found out through routine blood pressure screenings at the doctor's office or during a physical.
5 ways to lower your hypertension without medication.
Hypertension is one of the most common medical conditions. It's estimated that high blood pressure affects about 1 in 5 Americans. Among adults aged 18-44, more than 1 in 4 have high blood pressure.
Even if you do not have any symptoms, hypertension can lead to more serious complications like heart attack or stroke.
Fortunately, there are many things you can do on your own to lower your blood pressure without taking medication. Here are our top five tips for normalizing your blood pressure:
1) Eat healthy foods low in fat and sodium. You may be surprised by how few calories it takes to make a difference when it comes to lowering your blood pressure.
2) Lose weight if you're overweight or obese. Being overweight or obese is a major risk factor for high blood pressure, so losing weight can help reduce your risk for developing these complications—and even prevent them if you're already at risk for hypertension.
3) Exercise regularly. Regular exercise helps regulate your stress levels, which will have an impact on your blood pressure levels over time.
4) Reduce stress with breathing exercises and yoga practices. When practiced regularly, meditation and other stress management techniques can lower blood pressure significantly over time—even after stressful events
Eating healthy foods
Eating healthy is an important part of living a healthy lifestyle. One important consideration when you're trying to eat healthier is your diet, and that includes what types of food you're eating.
For some people, the DASH diet may be just the thing they need to lower their blood pressure without medication. The DASH diet is high in potassium and magnesium, and low in sodium and fat.
Losing weight
One of the easiest ways to lower your blood pressure without medication is to lose weight.
Being overweight or obese puts you at high risk for hypertension. The good news is that being overweight or obese is one of the most modifiable risk factors for high blood pressure.
It's not just about what you're eating- you also have to take into account the amount of exercise you're getting on a regular basis.
Exercising regularly will increase your heart rate and help your body release chemicals that help reduce stress levels, thus lowering your blood pressure.
The American Heart Association recommends 150 minutes per week of moderate aerobic activity- like walking, running, biking, swimming, tennis, dancing, etc.- or 75 minutes per week of vigorous aerobic activity- like jogging or swimming laps.
This alone may be enough to lower your blood pressure without medication!
Exercise
Studies have shown that regular exercise is an effective way to reduce blood pressure. Exercise may even help you prevent hypertension, especially if your risk factors are high.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity on most days of the week. This can be broken up into 10 minute intervals, three times per day.
One study found that walking for just 15 minutes a day had a significant impact on reducing blood pressure levels in people with mild hypertension.
So, get moving! If you're feeling more active and energized, you'll feel less stressed and more relaxed too.
Reduce stress
Stress is a very real and common concern, and it has been linked to hypertension. In fact, stress can lead to higher blood pressure readings in as little as five minutes.
In this day and age, many of us are constantly experiencing some form of stress. From work worries to relationship problems, your stress levels can fluctuate considerably from day-to-day.
Fortunately, there are ways you can reduce stress without medication. Breathing exercises or yoga have been shown to help lower your blood pressure even after a stressful event has occurred. There are also other natural methods that can help reduce your level of stress:
- Meditation
- Diaphragmatic breathing
Limiting alcohol consumption.
Alcohol is a depressant, which means it can slow your heart rate and affect blood pressure. It can also lead to muscle relaxation.
If you drink alcohol, limiting your intake is one way to lower blood pressure. Women should limit their intake to one drink per day, while men should limit themselves to two drinks per day.