Blood Pressure Home > Lowering Blood Pressure
Losing Weight
If you are overweight, losing weight can help reduce blood pressure. Carrying extra weight puts additional strain on your heart. Also, as people gain weight, their blood pressure tends to rise. Losing weight can make high blood pressure drop back down. A low-fat, low-cholesterol, and low-salt diet is usually recommended, along with an exercise program.
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Becoming More Physically Active
Regular exercise has been shown to lower blood pressure. Many people think this means having to do a lot of strenuous exercise every day, but this is a myth. A moderate exercise program will help keep your heart and blood vessels in shape and helps in reducing blood pressure. The American Heart Association even classifies walking at a brisk pace for 30 to 60 minutes, three days a week, as "regular physical activity."
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Reducing Your Salt Intake
Lowering blood pressure may require changing what you put into your body. One such ingredient is salt. Salt and high blood pressure go hand in hand, because salt can make your blood vessels and body tissues swell and fill with fluid. This puts an extra strain on your heart and can increase blood pressure.
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