Lower Your Blood Pressure at Home

Exercise can really help lower your blood pressure.

Here are a few tips:

• Get your heart rate up for 30 minutes in a row, at least 5 days per week.
• Try aerobic exercises, like brisk walking, cycling, swimming, dancing, etc.
• Start with your current exercise routine, and gradually work up to 30 minutes at a time or exercise more days each week.
• You should be able to talk, but not sing, while exercising.  If you can sing while exercising, it suggests you may need to increase the intensity to achieve better results.

Some muscle soreness can be normal, but let us know if you have significant discomfort or physical limitation to your ability to exercise.

If you have chest pain or pressure, significant shortness of breath, dizziness, or other concerning symptoms when you exercise, let us know.  If your symptoms are severe or do not go away after a few minutes of rest, go to your local emergency room (ER).

A heart-healthy diet, particularly a low-salt diet, will help lower your blood pressure.

For a low-salt diet:

• Aim for less than 2 grams of salt per day.  Read food labels.
• Avoid processed foods.
• Do not add salt to your food.
• Keep in mind that most restaurant meals are high in salt before they reach the table.

Try to eat healthier overall for your general health:

• Eat more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins.
• Limit white bread or baked products, desserts, candy, and sweet beverages.
• If you have heart disease, stroke, or artery disease, you should also avoid fatty foods, particularly saturated fats in dairy, red meat, fried foods, etc.

In addition to diet and exercise, the following are also important.

Nicotine:

• Quit smoking, vaping, etc.
• Let us know if you want help with this!

Alcohol:

• Limit consumption, or avoid it altogether.
• Men should limit to 2 drinks per day, while women should limit to 1 drink per day (based on your sex assigned at birth).

Sleep:

• Try to get 7 to 9 hours of quality sleep per night.
• Read about ways to sleep better.

Manage weight:

• If you're overweight, weight loss can help.
• Let us know if you'd like support with this, from lifestyle changes to medications.

Caffeine: Limit both coffee and energy drinks.

Manage stress:

• Try stress-reducing activities like deep breathing exercises (read more), meditation, or yoga.
• Find healthy outlets for stress, such as hobbies or spending time with loved ones.

If you take medication for blood pressure:

• Take it regularly.
• Do not miss doses.

Avoid taking over-the-counter medications that can raise your blood pressure, such as:

• NSAIDs (Aleve, Motrin, ibuprofen, naproxen, etc.)
• Decongestants
• Black licorice

If you want to try natural supplements to help lower blood pressure, here are some options:

• Garlic in your diet
• Omega-3 fatty acids found in fish, flaxseeds, and supplements
• Hibiscus tea or supplements
• Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10)
• Magnesium

If you've made consistent lifestyle changes for around 3 months and your blood pressure is still over 130/80, let us know so we can discuss next steps.

If, at any time, you notice a high blood pressure reading (over 190/90) or if you have chest pain, difficulty breathing, or possible symptoms of stroke, go to your local emergency room (ER) or urgent care for evaluation.