7 Way to Help Reduce Your Blood Pressure Naturally If you have been told that you have high blood
pressure, there are many things that you can do to
reduce it naturally. Introduce each step gradually and
monitor your blood pressure readings regularly. As
your blood pressure comes down, you will need to see
your doctor to check that your medication and dosage
is still right for you.
Firstly, what is blood pressure?
Put simply, blood pressure is the pressure of blood in your arteries - the tubes that carry your
blood from your heart to your brain and the rest of your body. You need a certain amount of
pressure to get the blood around your body.
The pressure of the blood flowing through your arteries changes at different times in the cardiac
cycle (heart beat). The pressure in your arteries will be at its highest when your heart
is contracting and lowest as it relaxes before it pumps again.
What is high blood pressure and why should we avoid it?
High blood pressure is just one of the risk factors for developing heart and circulatory
disease, along with high cholesterol, diabetes and other lifestyle factors. If you already have
heart disease or if you have been told that you have some blockages in your arteries, keeping your
blood pressure low is especially important. High blood pressure can cause a piece of calcification
to break off from your arteries, which can cause a heart attack or stroke.
High blood pressure is not usually something that you can feel or notice, but over time if it is not
treated, your heart may become enlarged making your heart pump less effectively, which could
lead to heart failure.
Blood pressure medications work effectively at reducing the blood pressure in your arteries,
however these medications can have side effects and do not address the possible causes of the
high blood pressure.
Clinical Exercise Group
www.clinicalexercise.co.uk
London, Surrey, International
Reduce Your Blood Pressure Naturally Lifestyle plays an important role in treating your high blood pressure. If you successfully control
your blood pressure with a healthy lifestyle, you may avoid, delay or reduce your dosage for
medication.
Here are 7 lifestyle changes you can make to lower your blood pressure and keep it down.
1. Lose extra weight and watch your waistline
Blood pressure often increases as weight increases. Losing just 10
pounds (4.5 kilograms) can help reduce your blood pressure. In
general, the more weight you lose, the lower your blood pressure.
Losing weight also makes any blood pressure medications you're
taking more effective. Ask us how to determine your target weight
and the best way to achieve it.
Besides shedding pounds, you should also keep an eye on your waistline. Carrying too much
weight around your waist can put you at greater risk of high blood pressure. In general:
• Men are at risk if their waist measurement is greater than 40 inches (102 centimeters, or cm).
• Women are at risk if their waist measurement is greater than 35 inches (89 cm).
• Asian men are at risk if their waist measurement is greater than 36 inches (91 cm).
• Asian women are at risk if their waist measurement is greater than 32 inches (81 cm).
2. Exercise regularly
ü Regular physical activity — at least 30 to
60 minutes most days of the week —
can lower your blood pressure by 4-9
mmHg. And it doesn't take long to see a
difference. If you haven't been active,
increasing your exercise level can lower
your blood pressure within just a few
weeks.
ü If you have prehypertension — systolic
pressure between 120 and 139 or
diastolic pressure between 80 and 89 — exercise can help you avoid developing full-blown
hypertension. If you already have hypertension, regular physical activity can bring your blood
pressure down to safer levels.
ü Talk to us about developing you an exercise program. We can help determine whether you
need any exercise restrictions. Even moderate activity for 10 minutes at a time, such as
walking and light strength training, can help.
ü Start out slowly and build up the difficulty gradually. Overdoing it does not do your body any
favours and does not increase your fitness more quickly. Buy a heart rate monitor and wear
whilst you are exercising. Talk to us about what is a safe heart rate for your age and based on
the medications you are taking.
Clinical Exercise Group
www.clinicalexercise.co.uk
London, Surrey, International
3. Eat a healthy diet
Eating a diet that is rich in whole grains, fruits, vegetables and low-fat protein and skimps on
saturated fat and sugar can lower your blood pressure by up to 14 mmHg.
It isn't easy to change your eating habits, but with these tips, you can adopt a healthy diet:
• Keep a food diary. Writing down what you eat,
even for just a week, can shed light on your true
eating habits. Monitor what you eat, how much,
when and why.
• Be a smart shopper. Make a shopping list
before heading to the supermarket to avoid picking
up junk food. Read food labels when you shop and
stick to your healthy-eating plan when you're dining
out, too.
• Reduce refined carbohydrates. Foods that are
high in sugar and white flour are low in nutrients.
Sugar also plays havoc with your blood sugar levels, meaning you feel more tired, crave
sweet foods and making your body work harder to maintain it’s balance.
• Choose lean proteins. Choose chicken, fish, turkey, beans, lentils, or eggs. These are lean
proteins that contain little fat and keep you feeling full for longer.
4. Limit the amount of alcohol you drink
Alcohol can be both good and bad for your health. In small amounts, it can
potentially lower your blood pressure by 2 to 4 mm Hg. But that protective
effect is lost if you drink too much alcohol — generally more than one drink a
day for women and men older than age 65, or more than two a day for men
age 65 and younger. Also, if you don't normally drink alcohol, you shouldn't
start drinking as a way to lower your blood pressure. There's more potential
harm than benefit to drinking alcohol.
If you drink more than moderate amounts of it, alcohol can actually raise blood pressure by several
points. It can also reduce the effectiveness of high blood pressure medications.
• Track your drinking patterns. Along with your food diary, keep an alcohol diary to track your
true drinking patterns. One standard drink equals one bottle of beer, a small glass of wine
(148 mL) or one nip of spirits (45 mL). If you're drinking more than the suggested amounts,
cut back.
• Consider tapering off. If you're a heavy drinker, suddenly eliminating all alcohol can actually
trigger severe high blood pressure and other side effects for several days. So when you
stop drinking, do it with the supervision of your doctor or taper off slowly, over one to two
weeks.
• Don't binge. Binge drinking — having four or more drinks in a row — can cause large and
sudden increases in blood pressure, in addition to other health problems.
Clinical Exercise Group
www.clinicalexercise.co.uk
London, Surrey, International
5. Avoid smoking and secondhand smoke
On top of all the other dangers of smoking, the nicotine in
tobacco products can raise your blood pressure by 10 mm Hg or
more for up to an hour after you smoke. Smoking throughout the
day means your blood pressure may remain constantly high.
Every time the body takes in cigarette smoke, the arteries
constrict, increasing the heart rate and blood pressure. Over
time, smoking can also cause a build up of plaque in the arteries,
causing blockages and leading to heart attack or stroke.
You should also avoid secondhand smoke. Inhaling smoke from others also puts you at risk of
health problems, including high blood pressure and heart disease.
6. Cut back on caffeine
The role caffeine plays in blood pressure is still debatable. Drinking
caffeinated beverages can temporarily cause a spike in your blood
pressure, but it's unclear whether the effect is temporary or long lasting.
To see if caffeine raises your blood pressure, check your pressure within
30 minutes of drinking a cup of coffee or another caffeinated beverage
you regularly drink. If your blood pressure increases by five to 10 points,
you may be sensitive to the blood pressure raising effects of caffeine.
7. Reduce your stress
Stress or anxiety can temporarily increase blood pressure. Take some time to think about what
causes you to feel stressed, such as work, family, finances or illness. Once you know what's
causing your stress, consider how you can eliminate or reduce stress.
If you can't eliminate all of your stressors, try to manage with them in a healthier way. Take breaks
for deep-breathing exercises. Get a massage or take up yoga or meditation. Regular walking helps
to distress as well as has great fitness benefits.
Let us help you!
We will create a nutrition and exercise programme that is tailored to your needs. We will talk to
your cardiologist about your medical history and current medications and develop a bespoke
programme to put you on the path to great health! Call us now on 07918 788347 for a free
consultation.
Clinical Exercise Group
www.clinicalexercise.co.uk
London, Surrey, International