High blood pressure can cause big trouble, and it takes lifestyle changes to lower it for good…
… but what is a quick way to lower blood pressure? Take deep, slow breaths. Take ten minutes doing an activity that has been scientifically shown to reduce blood pressure immediately; such as petting a dog, going for a gentle walk, or merely sitting in the sunshine.
People have this question for a variety of reasons. Read on for solutions; especially if one of these reasons brought you to this article today:
- You’re under a load of stress and are concerned about dangerous blood pressure spikes.
- You are about to have a doctor visit, and don’t want your numbers inflated by “white coat hypertension.”
- You’ve just learned that you have high blood pressure, and want an easy way to get going with some effective changes that will fit into your lifestyle.
Lower Blood Pressure is a just a Breath Away
Remind yourself several times a day to breathe. I know it sounds odd, since breathing is involuntary; but when we’re tense, we breathe shallowly, feeding a fight-or-flight cycle that can drive up the blood pressure.
Here are instructions from a health pro, Mat Lecompte CPT:
If you’ve just been involved in a stressful situation and need to relax, find a place where you can sit up straight or lie down. Ideally, you want to have your torso fully extended so the lungs can accept as much oxygen as possible and you can have deep calming breaths that should help bring your blood pressure down.Diaphragmatic breathing focuses on getting the air deep into the lungs. You can tell you’re doing it properly if your abdomen moves out during inhales through the nose, and goes back in when you exhale through the mouth. A slow pace will likely have the most benefit, so try to make each inhalation and exhalation last for about five seconds. This will take some time to master, but practicing this type of breathing for between five and 15 minutes per day can help. Ultimately, the goal should be to hit about 10 breaths per minutes.”
Mat Lecompte CPT
Lower Blood Pressure: Direct your Feet to the Sunny Side of the Street
Health writer, Jenny Hills says you can lower your blood pressure by taking a walk.
Walking for a period of 10 minutes can quickly reduce your blood pressure according to one medical study. The researchers found that there was a significant diastolic BP drop during the rest period after each session of walking.”
Jenny Hills, Nutritionist
Later on, in the same article, Hills also suggests that time in the sunshine will do the trick, as well; so why not combine the two? To ease your blood pressure, take a 10-minute walk in the sunshine.
Fur-Pals to the Rescue for Lower Blood Pressure
To lower blood pressure instantly, pet your dog for a few minutes. Harvard University details this in a 2015 article:
Several studies have shown that dog owners have lower blood pressure than non-owners — probably because their pets have a calming effect on them and because dog owners tend to get more exercise. The power of touch also appears to be an important part of this “pet effect.” Several studies show that blood pressure goes down when a person pets a dog.”
Harvard University
A Full Night’s Sleep: a Lower Blood Pressure Essential
Make sleep a priority. More science is coming out all the time about the critical role that sleep plays in our health.
You may think that you can’t spare the time for more sleep; but the fact is that once you do, you will find that you are able to work so much more efficiently. This will more than make up for the lost time.
An Easy Way to Kick Off Better Eating
For something easy that you can do every day, make up a batch of my special cereal. It’s made up of ingredients that have been shown to reduce blood pressure. It is also good for lowering cholesterol, and getting things “moving,” to get your day started right.
This recipe makes enough for a week. You can make it ahead, and then it’s an easy breakfast, hot from the microwave or with a splash of cold milk.
Recipe: Gail’s Special Cereal
2 cups oats
1/4 cup flax seed
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 cup walnuts
1/2 cup dried apricots, diced
To eat cold: enjoy 1/2 cup of cereal with 1/2 cup of milk or yogurt. Sweeten to taste. For more BP lowering benefits, slice a half of a banana onto it or add 1/2 cup of blueberries or strawberries.
To eat hot: microwave one cup of water for 1:30, and pour over 1/2 cup of cereal in heatproof bowl. I enjoy it in a coffee mug, sometimes. Stir and microwave for another minute or so, watching carefully. Shut it off the moment it bubbles. Stir. Let it bubble up once more, remove and stir.
Make Changes on Your Own Terms
Finally, sit down and make this list of the changes you wish to make to your lifestyle that will lower your blood pressure. If you focus on just one of these changes a month, you will experience dramatic improvements in your life in less than a year.
Cut Back on:
- Smoking
- Caffeine
- Alcohol
- Stress
- Salt
- Your Weight
Add more:
- Fruits and vegetables
- Potassium
- Exercise
- Laughter
Check your BP daily and see your progress. Here’s a good, affordable meter (view here).
Pick the change that seems the most doable. Then, get started with just that one, small challenge. Improve on that daily for one month. Giving it a full month will teach you what works for you, and what doesn’t. By the end of the month, you’ll have a plan for making permanent change.
Make this your month!
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