Most of us have a general feel of our blood pressure numbers. These crucial digits inform medical professionals on a variety of important information such as the diameter of our arterial walls along with our heart rate. It is easy to get your blood pressure tested - I used to enjoy doing mine for free in the arm-squeezing device at the local grocery store as a kid. Awareness is a crucial part of bettering our health, but the next step - action - is equally important. Fortunately there are many methods of lowering blood pressure to healthier levels. Here are a few.
Less Salt
Sodium, aka salt, is one of the biggest contributors to high blood pressure in the modern era. While it may seem relatively easy to cut salt out of your meals, it becomes a lot harder when eating fast food and other processed meals. Research shows that many people with high blood pressure have a salt sensitivity, so cutting back on the sodium is a great first step to improve your heart health.
More Potassium
If you’re worried that you won’t be able to reduce the necessary amount of sodium in your life, fret not - you have an ally! Potassium is a great mineral for our body for a variety of reasons, including the important task of reducing sodium levels. It is also found in a large assortment of foods including fruits, vegetables, beans, tuna, salmon, beans, and nuts.
Exercise
Diet and exercise should always be our two focal points when we consider improving our health. We’ve taken a look at a few different dietary tips - now lets get to moving! It doesn’t take a lot of exercise to improve our health. Just 75 minutes of rigorous actions like running or 150 minutes of calmer cardio like walking is a great goal. However much you do or whatever exercises you choose, the important part is that you are strengthening your heart and improving your body’s blood-pumping efficiency.
Reduce Stress
All it takes to understand how much stress can raise your blood pressure is to become stressed! You can physically feel it in your body. Taking the time to be intentional about how we handle stressful situations can improve our health while helping us stay calm in the moment. Talk about a win-win. While different approaches work for different people some popular de-stressors are walks outside, reducing workloads, calming music or podcasts, and meditation.
Cover image from thirdman
