High blood pressure (also known as hypertension) is something that nearly 77.9 million adults in the United States. That’s over a third of the US population– it should not be taken lightly. Hypertension can damage blood vessels, and it can lead to serious health problems such as heart disease, kidney disease, or even stroke. Thankfully, there are ways to manage high blood pressure— it’s never too late to start!
Making changes that matter is important to managing high blood pressure. These can’t be things that you do once or twice. They are habits that would be potentially helpful for you to form. Some of these habits involve:
Starting a well-balanced diet that is low in salt.
Limiting your consumption of saturated fats, sodium, red meat, and sweets can help to put you on the right track. That doesn’t mean you have to stop eating all of the “fun stuff” entirely. Cutting down on your intake— by even just a small amount— will ultimately be beneficial.
Exercising regularly.
Finding something you like to do is the ultimate key in increasing your physical activity. Even if you find that a simple, leisurely walk around your neighborhood is something that you enjoy, doing that more frequently will be of huge benefit to you. Trying new things is imperative to finding something that you enjoy.
Managing your stress levels.
Stress can come in so many different forms, caused by so many different things. What I’ll write here is a drop in the bucket compared to everything that can be done to limit stress (just due to its versatility). Knowing what exactly triggers your stress can be the first step in winning this battle. However, it may be difficult to figure that out in some instances. Spending time meditating on a daily basis can generally help decrease your stress levels, even if you’re only doing it for about five or ten minutes a day.
Limiting your alcohol consumption
Alcohol is known to be an enormous factor in the raising of blood pressure. Having more than a couple of drinks in a day can, over time, have detrimental effect on your blood pressure (and in turn, your entire body). Limiting this ultimately comes down to self-discipline.
While these aren’t all of the things that you can do in order to manage or prevent high blood pressure, they can certainly help to lead you in the right direction. Forming habits like these can be difficult, and it’s important to remind yourself that it’s not the end of the world if you’re unable to immediately adjust to these changes. Establishing habits take not only time, but discipline. Despite the hard work it may entail, it will be more than worth it.
