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EXERCISE AND DIET CAN CONTROL BLOOD PRESSURE
Eating well and leading a healthy lifestyle for both the prevention and treatment of hypertension.
Despite advances in drug treatment, hypertension (high blood
pressure) continues to be a major health problem for Americans and
people in other industrialized countries. More than half of all
people in the U.S. who are over 60 years old have hypertension. This
disorder has reached epidemic rates for men and women of all ethnic
groups.
If you are already taking medication for hypertension, it's important to discuss your lifestyle changes with your doctor, and continue taking your medication as prescribed. If lifestyle changes result in improved blood pressure, your doctor will want to work closely with you to reduce your dosage in a safe and effective manner. Following are some of the most important things you can do to prevent and control hypertension. Exercise regularly. Regular exercise is the cornerstone hypertension-prevention habit for three reasons. First, it helps prevent and control hypertension. Formerly sedentary people who begin exercising regularly experience, on average, a drop of six or seven points in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Second, active people have lower death rates than their sedentary friends, even when they have the same blood pressure. Research has shown that exercise reduces risk for cardiovascular and other disease. Exercise also helps prevent obesity, another hypertension risk factor. Third, regular exercise provides the foundation for successful behavior change programs. Exercise makes you feel good and feel positive about yourself. Stress reduction is one of the greatest benefits of exercise. Stress not only raises blood pressure, but it makes you less inclined to stick to your positive eating plan, your smoking cessation program or your decision to cut down on your alcohol intake. |
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Reduce sodium intake. Many people with hypertension find that reducing sodium intake reduces blood pressure as well. Learn which foods are high in sodium, and avoid them as much as possible. Eat more fruits, vegetables and grains. Eating more fruits, vegetables and grains increases your intake of important minerals such as calcium and potassium, not to mention vitamins and fiber. One study found that volunteers consuming a diet (the DASH diet) high in these foods and low in fats reduced systolic blood pressure by four points, and diastolic by three points. This small but significant reduction was accomplished with diet alone, and no weight loss. Add exercise, stress management and weight loss for people who are overweight, and blood pressure reductions often improve more. Eat well and exercise regularly. Deprivation programs are out! Don't focus on weight loss; focus on a healthy lifestyle. A little weight loss may occur by cutting down on "junk food," eating more fruits, vegetables and grains, and increasing physical activity. Even a relatively small loss, such as 5 to 10 pounds, can reduce blood pressure. The most important goal is the development of healthful habits that stay with you for a lifetime, so that the weight stays off. Weight cycling (repeatedly losing and regaining weight) may raise your blood pressure and be harmful to your health. Reduce stress. Reducing stress is another lifelong task. Take a stress-management workshop, develop your sense of humor and read some good books. Develop coping techniques that increase your resistance to stress-related illness. And don't forget the importance of exercise for stress reduction. |
Limit alcohol and caffeine intake.
Drink alcohol and caffeine in moderation, if at all. Moderation
generally means no more than one drink a day for women, or two
drinks a day for men. Caffeine increases feelings of stress for many
people, and can also cause a transient rise in blood pressure.
Control other cardiovascular risk factors.
Since hypertension increases risk for cardiovascular disease, it
makes sense to make an extra effort to control other cardiovascular
risk factors such as smoking, high cholesterol and diabetes.
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Aerobic walking is a specialized exercise that can attract several large population groups: the overweight, the medically compromised, the elderly and those with musculoskeletal disabilities.