On Valentine’s Day the thought of getting your heart racing is a good thing, in day to day life however keeping an eye on your blood pressure is extremely important.
As your blood circulates around your body it pushes against your blood vessels, the strength at which it pushes is referred to as your blood pressure. If your blood pressure gets too high then it puts a great deal of strain on your arteries which is what inevitably leads to heart attacks and strokes.
Whether you already have high blood pressure or are just keeping an eye on it, these top tips will help to reduce and control your blood pressure, keep you healthier and reduce your risk of heart problems later on in life.
- Eat Less Salt – Salt can increase your blood pressure drastically so it is important to make sure that you don’t eat too much. Avoid ready meals and fast food and try to prepare as much food yourself as you can so that you can make sure that you don’t have much (if any) salt in your meals.
- Eat More Fruit and Veg – Fruit and veg contain potassium which counters out the negative effects that salt has on your body, this helps to lower your blood pressure.
- Maintain a Healthy Weight – Obesity is directly related to high blood pressure so make sure that you keep your weight in check by doing more exercise and enjoying a healthy diet.
- Cut Out the Booze – Reducing how much alcohol you drink helps to keep your blood pressure at a healthy level. Sticking to the recommended units each week will keep you healthier and will lower your blood pressure.
- Get Active – Being active for just half an hour five days a week will not only help to keep your weight at a healthy level but also helps your body to maintain a low and healthy blood pressure.