How Can You Lower Your Blood Pressure? 10 Simple Tips

High blood pressure occurs when the force of blood against the blood vessel walls is too strong. High blood pressure can increase your risk of heart disease. Lowering your blood pressure with the following strategies can help protect your heart and keep you healthy.

Research suggests that obesity contributes to high blood pressure. Maintaining a weight that’s healthy for you may help lower blood pressure and reduce strain on the heart, as excess weight can make the heart work harder to pump blood.

As part of your weight management strategy, be sure to eat balanced meals with fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins and get regular physical activity. Even a small amount of weight loss through these approaches can help improve blood pressure if you have excess weight.

Getting enough physical activity can help lower high blood pressure. Research suggests that sitting less and taking short breaks to walk or stand can make a difference, too. Some people lowered their blood pressure significantly just by moving more throughout the day.

Talk to a healthcare provider about how much exercise may be right for you.

Caffeine from coffee may increase blood pressure in people who already have high blood pressure and increase the risk of heart disease related death.

If you’re a daily coffee drinker, think about cutting back. You can reduce how many cups of coffee you have each day, or switch out one of those cups for tea, which isn’t associated with the same risk.

Eating too much sodium can raise your blood pressure. Check your nutrition labels, choose fresh foods, rinse canned foods, and season meals with herbs instead of salt to cut back. Cooking at home more often is also a simple way to control how much sodium you eat.

How much sodium is right for you can vary based on your unique medical history. Check with your healthcare provider to see what they recommend. In general, limiting your sodium intake to 1,000 milligrams per day may be most beneficial.

Smoking raises blood pressure and increases the risk of heart disease. The chemicals in tobacco smoke make your blood vessels stiff and narrow, forcing your heart to work harder. Smoking also:

Quitting smoking can help lower your blood pressure and risk of heart disease. Support groups may be helpful if you need help breaking the habit.

A study of nearly 20,000 people found the more alcohol someone drank, the higher their blood pressure became. Even small amounts of alcohol increased blood pressure, and the effects were seen in both men and women.

To lower blood pressure, try limiting alcohol by:

• Setting drink limits
• Choosing nonalcoholic options
• Drinking water between alcoholic drinks

Research shows that getting seven to eight hours of sleep each night can reduce your risk of high blood pressure and heart disease.

Try these tips for better sleep:

• Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, even on days you don’t work.
• Create a relaxing bedtime routine by avoiding screens, caffeine, and heavy meals before bed.
• Keep your bedroom cool, dark, and quiet to make it easier to fall and stay asleep
• Get regular exercise and manage stress to improve your sleep.

Stress can lead to unhealthy habits like smoking, overeating, and skipping exercise. When you’re stressed, your body also releases the hormone adrenaline, which temporarily increases blood pressure.

Chronic (long-lasting) stress keeps your body in high alert for long periods, which may also contribute to high blood pressure and heart problems.

Prioritizing stress management can help protect your heart and improve your overall well-being. Try strategies such as:

• Get regular exercise.
• Foster social connections.
• Use relaxation techniques like meditation or listening to music.
• Carve out some time for yourself each day.

If your healthcare provider has prescribed blood pressure medication, taking it as prescribed is important for keeping blood pressure under control. Skipping doses or stopping the medication without your healthcare provider’s advice can cause blood pressure to rise

Some foods, drinks, and supplements can also interfere with how your medicine works, so ask your healthcare provider if there are any things you should avoid. Let them know if you have side effects or trouble remembering your doses, too, so they can help.

Along with your healthcare provider, you play a key role in managing your blood pressure. You can work together to create a self-management plan, track your blood pressure at home, and follow up on appointments.

Your healthcare provider can also adjust your medications, offer lifestyle coaching, and provide support to overcome barriers like medication costs or side effects. It’s important to trust your healthcare provider as a teammate in managing your health and blood pressure.

High blood pressure is a risk factor for heart disease. It often has no symptoms, so monitoring it is the only way to know if it’s too high. Tracking your numbers over time can help you and your health care provider adjust your treatment plan as needed.

Regular monitoring also shows how lifestyle changes, like diet and exercise, have affected your blood pressure. If you take medication, checking your blood pressure helps ensure it’s working properly, too.

If you have high blood pressure, it’s important to see your healthcare provider at least once a year. You may need to consult with them throughout the year if you notice changes in your blood pressure.

Sometimes, you may have episodes of low blood pressure, which may mean your medications need adjustment. Consult with a health care provider if you notice changes in your blood pressure or want to discuss alternate ways to lower your blood pressure.

To lower your blood pressure, it’s important to take steps to increase your physical activity, get quality sleep, and decrease your sodium and alcohol intake.

The method that works best for reducing blood pressure will vary from person to person, so talk to a health care provider about the ideal strategies for you. Your healthcare provider can help develop a plan to achieve your goals.