Fortunately, there are some lifestyle practices that women can incorporate into their daily routines to help them lower their blood pressure without using medication.
Here are 10 of those lifestyle changes as advised by the Mayo Clinic in a report dated May 30, 2015.
Blood pressure often increases as weight increases. Being overweight also can cause disrupted breathing while you sleep (sleep apnea), which further raises your blood pressure.
Weight loss is one of the most effective lifestyle changes for controlling blood pressure. Losing just 10 pounds can help to reduce your blood pressure.
Besides shedding pounds, you generally should also keep an eye on your waistline. Carrying too much weight around your waist can put you at greater risk of high blood pressure. In general, women are at risk if their waist measurement is greater than 35 inches. These numbers vary among ethnic groups so consulting with a doctor is best when determining an individual’s ideal waist measurement.
Regular physical activity, at least 30 minutes most days of the week, can lower your blood pressure by 4 to 9 points. It’s important to be consistent because if you stop exercising, your blood pressure can rise again.
If you have slightly high blood pressure (prehypertension or at-risk hypertension) exercise can help you avoid developing full blown hypertension. If you already have hypertension, regular physical activity can bring your blood pressure down to safer levels.
The best types of exercise for lowering blood pressure include walking, jogging, cycling, swimming or dancing. Strength training also can help reduce blood pressure. Always consult with your doctor before developing a new exercise program.
Eating a diet that is rich in whole grains, fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy products and skimps on saturated fat and cholesterol can lower your blood pressure by up to 14 points. This eating plan is known as the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet.
It isn’t easy to change your eating habits, but with these tips, you can adopt a healthy diet:
Even a small reduction in the sodium in your diet can reduce blood pressure by 2 to 8 points.
The effect of sodium intake on blood pressure varies among groups of people. In general, limit sodium to less than 2,300 mg each day or less. However, a lower sodium intake of 1,500 mg each day or less is appropriate for people with greater salt sensitivity, including African-Americans, anyone age 51 or older, anyone diagnosed with high blood pressure, diabetes or chronic kidney disease.
To decrease sodium in your diet, consider these tips:
Alcohol can be both good and bad for your health. In small amounts, it can potentially lower your blood pressure by 2 to 4 points.
But that protective effect is lost if you drink too much alcohol, generally more than one drink a day for women. One drink equals 12 ounces of beer, five ounces of wine or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof liquor.
Drinking more than moderate amounts of alcohol can actually raise blood pressure by several points. It can also reduce the effectiveness of blood pressure medications.
Each cigarette you smoke increases your blood pressure for many minutes after you finish. Quitting smoking helps your blood pressure return to normal. People who quit smoking, regardless of age, have substantial increases in life expectancy.
The role caffeine plays in blood pressure is still debated. Caffeine can raise blood pressure by as much as 10 points in people who rarely consume it, but there is little to no strong effect on blood pressure in habitual coffee drinkers.
Although the effects of chronic caffeine ingestion on blood pressure aren’t clear, the possibility of a slight increase in blood pressure exists.
QUICK TIP:
To see if caffeine raises your blood pressure, check your pressure within 30 minutes of drinking a caffeinated beverage. If your blood pressure increases by 5 to 10 points, you may be sensitive to the blood pressure raising effects of caffeine.
Chronic stress is an important contributor to high blood pressure. Occasional stress also can contribute to high blood pressure if you react to stress by eating unhealthy food, drinking alcohol or smoking.
Take some time to think about what causes you to feel stressed, such as work, family, finances or illness. Once you know what’s causing your stress, consider how you can eliminate or reduce stress.
If you can’t eliminate all of your stressors, you can at least cope with them in a healthier way.
Try to:
Home monitoring can help you keep tabs on your blood pressure, make certain your lifestyle changes are working, and alert you and your doctor to potential health complications. Blood pressure monitors are available widely and without a prescription, but personal doctors should be consulted before you start home monitoring.
Regular visits with your doctor are also key to controlling your blood pressure. If your blood pressure is under control, you might need to visit your doctor only every 6 to 12 months, depending on other condition you might have. If your blood pressure isn’t well-controlled, your doctor will likely want to see you more.
Supportive family and friends can help improve your health. They may encourage you to take care of yourself, drive you to the doctor’s office or embark on an exercise program with you to keep your blood pressure low.
If you find that you need support beyond your family and friends, consider joining a support group. This may put you in touch with people who can give you an emotional or morale boost and who can offer practical tips to cope with your condition.