Staying Active
Keep Active for Better Blood Pressure
Regular physical activity has been shown to lower high blood-pressure levels. Your doctor will help you set exercise goals. Your heart becomes stronger with regular physical activity. This means your heart can pump more blood with less effort. If it's easier for your heart to pump blood, the force on your arteries is less. This lowers your blood pressure.
Exercise Can Be Fun!
You don't need to work out hard at a gym every day to see improvement. If you add moderate physical activities to your daily routine, it will help. In fact, it's easy to work different activities into your everyday life.
There are things you can do alone, like gardening, yard work and housework. Other common forms of aerobic activity include brisk walking, jogging, bicycling and swimming. In fact, any exercise that increases your heart and breathing rates is considered an aerobic exercise.
You should exercise for at least 30 minutes most days of the week. Short periods of activity count too, like taking the stairs instead of the elevator or taking a quick walk during your lunch break.
Ask for Support
Don't get discouraged. Ask for help from your family and friends. Their support can help you stick to your activity goals. There are many activities you can share with someone else, like walking, jogging, golf and swimming.
You can also participate in community activities. You can join a community center, a local health center, a gym or the YHCA/YMCA. Many of them offer exercise classes. Or, you can even sign up for a charity walk—you'll be helping yourself and others, too!
REMEMBER: Do not start any exercise plan without your doctor's approval. Your doctor will help you set realistic goals.
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Click here to learn about FITT and track your progress in a Exercise LogEating Right Can Help
Eating healthy is essential for controlling your blood pressure. And, it's important to eat a lot of fruits and vegetables, as well as foods that are low in salt.
Most Americans consume more salt than they need. Salt comes from sodium, which is found in many foods and ingredients such as baking powder and baking soda. Eating a lot of sodium can lead to high blood pressure. Sodium makes the body hold on to fluid, and the heart has to work harder to pump this added fluid.
How Can I Eat Better?
Eating healthy is not difficult. It just takes a little planning and careful shopping. People with high blood pressure should do the following:
- eat more fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy foods
- cut back on foods that are high in saturated fat, Cholesterol and total fat
- eat more whole grain products, fish, poultry and nuts
- eat less red meat and sweets
- eat foods that are rich in magnesium, potassium and calcium
Follow the DASH* eating plan. Foods in the DASH plan are low in saturated fat, cholesterol and total fat, and full of nutrients. People who follow the DASH plan have significantly lowered their blood pressure. To learn more about DASH, see “Hypertension: The DASH Diet” at WebMD. Here's the web address: http://www.webmd.com/hypertension-high-blood-pressure/guide/dash-diet
To learn more about healthy eating and nutrition, visit the American Heart Association at http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=1200010
*DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. It was developed by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, a part of the U.S. government's National Institutes of Health.
Cooking for Your Health
Look for healthier ways to prepare your food. For example, use two egg whites for each whole egg and margarine or oil instead of butter. Use light instead of regular mayonnaise, and use nonfat yogurt instead of sour cream. This website offers a brochure on how to cook healthier: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/hbp/dash/new_dash.pdf
Action Item
Click here to learn about the DASH Guide and how to use it in a Grocery ChecklistPlease click here for a treatment option on high blood pressure.
