About twelve years ago I was diagnosed with hypertension, and I’ve been working hard to control my blood pressure levels ever since. The diagnosis really helped me to kick myself into gear with having a healthier lifestyle, something I had tried off and on in this past but this time it really mattered, especially heart disease runs in my family.
With my doctor’s help and a lot of my own research, I was able to make some healthy changes such as watching my diet and exercising more. Staying in the right pressure range isn’t always easy, but I’m happy to say I’m now more in control than ever.
Living a Healthier Life with High Blood Pressure
|
| Living a Healthier Life with High Blood Pressure |
Learn All About Hypertension
Even before I was diagnosed, I had already seen some higher than normal numbers at my doctors visits for blood pressure screening and became a little more familiar with how to lower my blood pressure but still didn’t know much.
|
| Living a Healthier Life with High Blood Pressure |
Once the diagnosis was official, and I began to go on medication for my high blood pressure, I decided my first step in taking back control should be really learning all about high blood pressure and hypertension.
I think anyone, whether newly diagnosed or already living with the condition for years, can benefit from a high blood pressure overview and an in-depth lesson on the types of hypertension and the different options for treatment.
It’s good to use every resource you have to lean on, including connecting with others that suffer from high blood pressure so you can get personal tips and advice.
Maintain a Blood Pressure-Friendly Diet
I quickly learned from my research all about how diet affects blood pressure, and I knew a diet change would be the hardest thing for me to do because I have always been a salty food lover.
|
| Living a Healthier Life with High Blood Pressure |
My doctor gave me a few guides on the American Heart Association HTN Diet, which helped a lot in the beginning for finding foods that were safer to eat. I’m constantly learning about more foods to reduce blood pressure and have found that apps can be a great help when it comes to maintaining a diet for hypertension.
In fact, this list leads me to an app that I now use all the time called MyFitnessPal, which is a huge help when I’m going out to eat since most places tend not to specifically have a high blood pressure diet menu.
Apps like Noom or any other fitness app help you learn all about the food your eating, so you can make more informed decisions and keep your blood pressure low.
Also Read,
Start a Daily Exercise Routine
Exercise was also a bit hard for me at first since I was never much of a gym-goer. Luckily, I found out from online guides such as Three Easy Exercises to Lower Blood Pressure and other hypertension tips that you don’t necessarily have to go to the gym to get your heart pumping.
|
| Living a Healthier Life with High Blood Pressure |
I found some great yoga exercises for high blood pressure that are simple for me to do every morning and are a great start to my day.
Walking is also good for lowering blood pressure, and I’ve taken to going with my dog every afternoon.
Of course, there are a few exercises to avoid with high blood pressure because you don’t want to overdo it if your levels are already high, but there are plenty of sample exercise programs for hypertension to safely get you going.
Conclusion
Making any major lifestyle change is never easy, but trust me when I say that it’s worth it, especially if you’re struggling with high blood pressure. Once you start making these changes you’ll immediately feel the difference, not only physically but mentally as well!
___________
Author Bio: Alia is a writer/blogger. She loves writing, traveling and internet surfing. These days she is busy to write an article on blood pressure. You can find more about her writing here.
___________
So This was it for today. I hope you have found this post helpful.
Have a Good Day! 😇
