According to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, one in three U.S. adults experience high blood pressure, also known as hypertension. Studies show a strong link between weight gain and high blood pressure, with obesity increasing a person's risk for high blood pressure. Doctors often recommend that patients with weight problems and hypertension follow similar strategies, including exercising, consuming a low-sodium diet and avoiding sugary beverages.
Step 1
Exercise at least 30 minutes daily to lower blood pressure and burn calories for weight loss. The American Heart Association recommends performing moderate to vigorous physical activity in sessions of at least 10 minutes each, three times a day, if you can't do 30 minutes at once. You should also incorporate twice-weekly strength training and stretching and flexibility exercises into your workout schedule. To determine whether you're exercise vigorously enough, try this test: If you can talk comfortably or even sing while working out, increase the intensity. If you can't talk at all, slow things down. If you can respond with only short phrases or words, you're exercising at a moderate pace.
Step 2
Consume a diet containing less than 1,500 milligrams of sodium daily, such as the DASH diet of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. For many people with hypertension, consuming sodium increases blood pressure levels and leads to excessive water retention. A low-sodium diet limits intake of salt and encourages followers to consume fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meats, whole grains and low-fat or nonfat dairy products, so this diet helps control or reduce blood pressure levels as well as weight. According to the NHLBI, people who followed the DASH diet that limited sodium to 1,500 milligrams daily had the greatest reduction in blood pressure. In addition, an NHLBI study found that people taught to lower their blood pressure by eating the DASH diet also lost weight.
Step 3
Avoid all sugar-sweetened beverages, including sodas and iced teas. A May 2010 study published in the journal "Circulation" found that 810 adults who reduced their intake of sugar-sweetened beverages by one serving per day experienced an average 1.8 millimeters of mercury reduction in blood pressure levels over the course of the 18-month study. Sugar-sweetened beverages not only can affect your blood pressure but also can add bulk to your waistline.
Step 4
Limit your alcohol intake to one drink daily for women and two drinks daily for men. According to cardiologists at Providence Health and Services, a moderate amount of alcohol actually lowers blood pressure, and researchers published in the March 9, 2010 issue of the "Archives of Internal Medicine" discovered that women who drank alcohol tended to gain less weight over time than did non-drinkers. However, consuming alcohol in more than moderate amounts increases your risk of high blood pressure. In addition, drinking beyond moderation is associated with obesity.
References
- National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute: Lowering Your Blood Pressure with DASH
- American Heart Association: Physical Activity and Blood Pressure
- Wine Spectator; Alcohol May Help Fight Weight Gain in Women; Jennifer Fiedler; March 8, 2010
- Providence Health and Services: Lowering Blood Pressure without Pills
- Circulation; Reducing Consumption of Sugar-Sweetened Beverages Is Associated With Reduced Blood Pressure: A Prospective Study Among United States Adults; Liwei Chen et al.; May 2010
