10 ways to control high blood pressure without medication
4. Reduce sodium in your diet
5. Limit the amount of alcohol you drink
7. Cut back on caffeine
8. Reduce your stress
9. Monitor your blood pressure at home and see your doctor regularly
10. Get support
Content
1. Lose extra weight and watch your waistline
2. Exercise regularly
3. Eat a healthy diet
4. Reduce salt and sodium in your diet
5. Limit alcohol
6. Quit smoking
7. Get a good night's sleep
8. Ease stress
9. Track your blood pressure at home and get regular checkups
10. Control your cholesterol and blood sugar
2. Exercise regularly
Regular aerobic exercise can lower high blood pressure by about 5 to 8 mm Hg. It's important to keep exercising to keep blood pressure from rising again. As a general goal, aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity every day.
Exercise also can help keep elevated blood pressure that's slightly higher than ideal from turning into high blood pressure, also called hypertension. For those who have hypertension, regular physical activity can bring blood pressure down to safer levels.
Some examples of aerobic exercise that can help lower blood pressure include walking, jogging, cycling, swimming and dancing. Another helpful type of exercise is high-intensity interval training. This type of training involves mixing short bursts of intense activity with bouts of lighter activity.
Strength training also can help lower blood pressure. Aim to include strength training exercises at least two days a week. Talk to a healthcare professional about setting up an exercise program for you.