5 Ways To Lower High Blood Pressure

Dr Handicap - cardiogram

Millions of people across America suffer from it – but many of us don’t know the best ways to lower high blood pressure. Though there are some medications on the market designed to try help bring those all important numbers down, people naturally don’t want to be pumping themselves full of drugs if lifestyle changes can do the job instead.

If you’re one of the thousands of disabled parking permit holders in the US who suffer from the dreaded hypertension, follow these tips to lower high blood pressure and start to see results immediately.

Lose Weight

If you’re using a disabled parking permit because you’re overweight, you’re five times more likely to have higher blood pressure than a thinner counterpart. As your weight increases, so too does your blood pressure, so keeping an eye on the scale is super prudent for those worried about it.

Though carrying extra weight anywhere can contribute to your bad blood health, it is particularly deadly to have extra weight around your waist. Generally, men are at risk of having high blood pressure if their waist measures greater than 40 inches; women, on the other hand, are at risk if their waist measures greater than 35 inches. However, these are just guidelines and a healthy waist measurement will vary from person to person. To find out your own healthy waist measurement, consult your doctor.

Not only can being overweight cause high blood pressure in and of itself, it can also increase your blood pressure by causing sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a condition whereby your breathing stops sporadically while you sleep, causing strain on your heart and raising your blood pressure.

Losing as little as 10 pounds can make a huge difference, helping you lower high blood pressure and live a happier, healthier life.

 

Dr Handicap - blood pressure pump

Exercise

Similarly, if you want the ‘ol BP to go down, you really should be exercising. Exercising and losing weight go hand in hand, so if you’re doing one, you should be doing the other to gain maximum results.

Exercising doesn’t have to be a hard slog every morning in the gym. It can be something as simple as walking instead of driving to work, or taking up a fun new hobby with a friend. We recommend focusing on activities that’ll really get your heart pumping like swimming, jogging, dancing, or even martial arts.

If you start to exercise for even a half an hour every day, you’ll start to see results almost immediately. Regular, effective exercise can lower high blood pressure by as much as 9 points – not too shabby!

Take Up Relaxing Activities

It’s no secret that those with fast-paced, stress-filled lives are much more likely to have high blood pressure. To avoid burning yourself out and making your blood pressure skyrocket in the process, take up some relaxing activities that will help your mind – and body – destress.

The best way to do this is to practice mind-calming exercises like meditation. Though you may think that meditation is something for monks to do, high up in the Himalayas, it can in fact be done by anyone, anywhere. Pick a quiet spot in your home or local park, focus on your breathing, and try to clear your mind, if even for a minute. The more you do it, the better you’ll get at it and soon you’ll be reaping the benefits of a calmer mind, and healthier heart.

If meditation isn’t your thing, there are plenty of other stress relieving activities that you could pick up like yoga, pilates, tai chi, or reiki massage. Do any – or all – of these activities while listening to calming music. If it’s a particularly nice day outside, go practice out in the sun to boost your vitamin D and endorphin levels.

 

Dr Handicap - ECG

Eat Less Salt

Enemy number one when it comes to raising your blood pressure is salt. Though these little grains may seem harmless, they can in fact make your BP go through the roof if consumed too frequently.

The American Heart Association recommends that disabled parking permit users who suffer from hypertension should keep their salt intake to under 1,500 milligrams a day. If you’re not sure of what you’re consuming, check the labels on your food to make sure.

Avoid salt-heavy processed foods and use different, healthier spices instead of salt. Not only will you notice the different when your blood pressure starts to drop, you’ll also discover a whole new range of tastes and flavors that you wouldn’t have otherwise known about.

To give your body an extra boost in getting rid of the excess sodium in your system, eat plenty of potassium-based foods. Potassium comes in loads of tasty foods like bananas, tuna, milk, and raisins. (Though you could eat all of these at once, we’d highly recommend you don’t!)

Stop Smoking

Though this advice could be applied to literally every other way to make yourself healthier, it also applies to helping you lower high blood pressure. Seriously, quitting smoking will be the best thing you ever do with your life. Every single time you have a cigarette, your blood pressure goes up – can you imagine what this does to your heart after a lifetime of smoking?

By quitting the smokes, you can lower high blood pressure significantly, but more importantly, you’ll be extending your lifespan. If you want to quit but don’t know how to do it, talk to your doctor and they’ll advise you on the best route to take.

Lowering your blood pressure can be tough, but you’ll feel so much better after you do. For those of you who are on the road to doing it, but need a bit of help when it comes to getting out and active, get in touch with us today and we’ll organize for you to have your own handicap parking permit. A handicap parking permit can be your key to unlocking a whole new world of activities and possibilities, so don’t put it off any longer.