What you do and what you eat have a big effect on your blood pressure and your overall health. The right lifestyle can lower your blood pressure (or prevent it from getting high in the first place), reduce your need for blood pressure medicines, make those medicines work better, and lower the chances of a heart attack, stroke or kidney disease.
Which lifestyle choices help lower blood pressure?
Eat a diet rich in fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy, and low in meats, sweets and refined grains. Eat less salt. Do something active for at least 30 minutes on most days of the week. Lose weight if you carry excess body weight. Limit or avoid alcohol. If you smoke, quitting may not lower your blood pressure directly, but it dramatically reduces the risk of heart attack and stroke.
Start low, and go slow
You don't have to change everything at once. Choose one small, specific thing to change and try it for a while. If it works, keep going until it becomes a habit. If it doesn't, don't give up — pick something else. For example, instead of switching from cheeseburgers to daily salads overnight, keep the burger but swap the fries for a salad, or halve your portions. As small changes stick, add new ones.
Improve your diet
There is no single diet that suits everyone, but a healthy diet usually includes plenty of fruits, vegetables and whole grains; some beans, peas, lentils and chickpeas; some nuts such as walnuts, almonds and peanuts; fat-free or low-fat milk and dairy; and some fish. Limit sugar, sweets, red and processed meats, and refined grains found in white bread, white rice, most pasta and packaged snack foods.
Reduce salt (sodium)
Most of the sodium in your diet is already in the foods you buy — not what you add at the table. The single most important step is to eat less processed food from cans, boxes, jars and bags, and eat out less often. Buy fresh or fresh-frozen fruits, vegetables and meats and cook from scratch. Change one or two high-sodium foods at a time until low-sodium eating becomes the norm.
Become more active
You do not need a gym. Walking, gardening, dancing and everyday movement all count. If you are inactive now, start with a few minutes every other day and build up over weeks. If you don't enjoy walking, try something else — the best activity is one you'll actually stick with.
Lose weight, if needed
If you have excess body weight, talk to your doctor or nurse before starting. Good weight-loss plans build a healthy relationship with food and exercise so you can lose weight and keep it off. In some cases, prescription medicines or surgery are recommended alongside lifestyle changes.
Limit or avoid alcohol
If you are female, limit yourself to no more than one standard drink a day. If you are male, no more than two. A standard drink is a 12 oz beer, a 5 oz glass of wine, or a 1.5 oz shot of spirits.
Where should I start?
Pick the change that would be easiest for you and set a specific, realistic goal with a deadline. Rather than 'exercise more', decide: 'I'll walk for 10 minutes on Monday, Wednesday and Friday for the next two weeks.' Vague goals are hard to follow — specific ones aren't.
Key takeaways
- Lifestyle changes can lower blood pressure and reduce your risk of heart attack, stroke and kidney disease.
- Start with one small, specific change and build up gradually — sudden overhauls rarely stick.
- Most dietary sodium comes from processed and restaurant food, not the salt shaker.
- Aim for 30 minutes of activity on most days, and limit alcohol to 1 drink/day (women) or 2 (men).