High blood pressure is a dangerous red flag that signals how you need to take action to improve your health, especially as you age. If not, you could be putting yourself at risk of different conditions such as heart attack, stroke, vision loss, and a plethora of others. Hence, you’ll want to drop your blood pressure before your next doctor’s appointment. Here are a few drug-free methods to lower high blood pressure.
Brisk or Moderate Walking
Walking is one of, if not, the simplest way to lower blood pressure through exercise. Walking and other forms of exercise reduce the stiffness in our blood vessels, making blood flow easier, and leading to lower blood pressure. Thus, the effects of high blood pressure are most noticeable right after a workout, such as a session of brisk walking. Extra points if you engage in multiple blocks of exercise in a day, such as three ten-minute walking sessions a day. If you’re looking for a challenge, visit your local hiking trail to enjoy a satisfying workout!
Cycling
Cycling is a form of aerobic exercise, which reduces your blood pressure a measurable amount while boosting your heart health as well. Hence, cycling is frequently recommended as a form of convenient exercise for individuals with resistant hypertension. A thirty-minute block of biking or stationary cycling once a day or three ten-minute blocks in a day will go a long way in improving blood pressure.
Weight Training
Weight training is not just for gym rats! It’s an effective way to improve bodily wellness, regardless of age and activity level. While weight training may seem like a counterintuitive way to reduce high blood pressure, it improves fitness and physical wellness overall. While weight training raises your blood pressure levels temporarily, it lowers high blood pressure in the long run.
Swimming
Swimming is a fun form of exercise that also contributes to better blood pressure levels. Furthermore, swimming, due to it being a low-impact sport, is a suitable form of exercise for older adults to engage in. The effects of swimming on blood pressure are well-documented, proving how it improves blood pressure in the elderly.
Adjusting Diet
Diet is an important factor in improving blood pressure, without relying on drug-based methods. For example, the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet is recommended for individuals with high blood pressure to treat it. The DASH diet incorporates blood pressure-lowering foods, including:
- Fruits and vegetables
- Low-fat dairy products
- Whole grains
- Fish
- Poultry
- Nuts
Furthermore, the DASH diet limits foods that can increase blood pressure, such as red meats and processed sugars. Such foods are rich in nutrients such as potassium, calcium, and magnesium that control blood pressure.
Health and wellness in your golden years are even easier with the resources that we offer at Morada Cy-Fair! Our health and wellness program, as well as our dedicated team of carers, promise a holistically enriching retirement experience. Our senior living options promise you and your loved ones a more satisfying and rewarding retirement lifestyle.
