People diagnosed with high blood pressure often fear taking drugs to keep their numbers low all their lives. However, this does not have to be the case. Incorporating lifestyle changes and activities provides a natural way to help regulate your blood pressure and help you live a life not pegged on heavy medication. Some activities that are helpful for diabetics to help you lower your blood pressure include.
Hiking
Hiking is a physical activity that enables you to keep your weight and breathing in control. If you are an adventurous person or hate spending so much time in enclosed areas, hiking is an excellent way to help lower your blood pressure while enjoying the fantastic scenery.
If you live in West Virginia, visiting the West Virginia state parks will allow you to enjoy a weekend getaway and offer many activities from fishing, camp night on the mountain, and other great activities. Hiking can also provide you a chance to bond more with your family while meeting your goal of lowering your blood pressure. Remember, the focus is not to reach the peak or cover a lot in a short while; thus, taking weekends to stay in parks and hike at your pace is essential to make it beneficial.
You can also make achievable goals and remember to carry out activities that will not strain your body but help it develop momentum. This means you probably want to start with shorter hikes and continue increasing the length with time.
Exercise
Regular exercise that entails 30 minutes of work out a day is essential to help lower blood pressure. Activities such as walking, jogging, or engaging in high-intensity exercises will see you lower your blood pressure by 5 to 8 mm Hg.
You can use the various running trails in west Virginia State parks to help you put in more time or increase your walking mileage and help keep your pressure in check. For those with elevated high blood pressure engaging in exercises is an excellent way to prevent you from advancing to hypertension.
Engage in Stress-Reducing Activities
The hustle and bustle of everyday life can quickly put you in a high-stress level cycle. Engaging in activities that help reduce stress and provide you a chance to breathe is essential. This includes activities such as fishing that engage less of your mental space, allowing you hours of solitude and silence as you get one with nature.
You can also take time to swim in the hot spring or spend hours gazing into nature in a park, helping you slow down and identify the stress aggressors in your life. This will help you know your triggers and identify ways of dealing with them to ensure you do not endanger your life as high-stress levels lead to high blood pressure.
Having healthy diets
Diet plays a significant role in helping lower your blood pressure. Focusing on healthier foods with fewer fats and sodium goes a long way in helping lower your blood pressure. Diets are easy to maintain when you make your food; however, eating out or in events makes it hard to stay clean.
Thus ensure that you engage in social events that have measures to help you stick to your diet. For example, if you are visiting friends to watch a game or having a game night, informing them on your current journey is vital to help them put in meals that will help lower your blood pressure.
Get support
You may not be an expert in blood pressure control; thus, getting an excellent support system is vital in your journey. A family support system plays a vital role in ensuring you make healthy food decisions and can be essential in working out together. In addition, having a support system of people in the space you are in is also vital to help you learn from other people’s journeys and what they have done to help them keep their journey going.
Identifying friends and family members with the same issue and listening through their journey will enable you to learn a thing or two and what they are doing to help you identify ways to improve your journey. You can also engage in swimming and lifestyle changes together, helping you succeed more in your journey.
Conclusion
There are many natural ways to help lower your blood pressure. However, it is best if you are willing to put in the work and stay consistent, enabling you to achieve your goals faster.
I’m a type 1 diabetic with diabetes knowledge in t1d and t2d, as well as nutrition and low-carb keto diet information, fitness and exercise programs to help keep you in optimal diabetes health. Take advantage of our diabetic health toolsfor a healthier lifestyle!