Most of us nowadays often hear the words “blood pressure”, and the phrase more often than not comes with the word “high” before it. The lifestyles that most of us follow, one that doesn’t really fall under the category “healthy living”, isn’t helping much at all. What we should do is at least make ourselves aware that having good blood pressure is a must if we want to stay healthy and avoid contracting bodily complications that arise from having blood pressure readings that go out of check.
The ideal blood pressure for every person is below 120 over 80. This is basically the optimal
blood pressure for people wanting to have good health. Having this blood pressure minimizes the
risks of having a heart disease or stroke. Good blood pressure means that your body is functioning
at an optimum level and that the blood is circulating at rates that do not prove to be constricting or
obstructive to your body’s usual functions. By following a healthy lifestyle and keeping healthy habits,
one will be able to maintain this. If your blood pressure is higher than the one given above, you should
make an effort to lower it. Having higher blood pressure increases risks of heart disease, stroke and
kidney failure as stated by C-Health.com.
According to the MNT Knowledge Center though, blood pressure changes naturally. However,
the guidelines followed by doctors has been evolving too and the general trend is that the numbers
have been getting lower when it comes to the starting point for considering the blood pressure to be
too high.
What doesn’t change though is the list of tips that doctors and healthcare professionals give
to people who wish to maintain good blood pressure. First on that list would be to reduce excess body
weight. Eating healthy plays a key role in managing good blood pressure. Try to take more vegetables,
whole grains, lean meats, fruit, nut seeds and legumes. Second is to maintain healthy body weight. You
can do this simply by starting to do at least around 30 minutes of physical activity on most, if not all,
days of the week. However, you should also consult your doctor on which types of exercises you should
do as some physical activities tend to also increase your blood pressure. Reducing sodium intake would
also be another step to take if the goal is to maintain good blood pressure. Moderation in intake of
alcohol also helps a lot, and if you are a smoker, quitting is the best way to go.
The Mayo Clinic advices that if you already have good blood pressure, it is best to keep it that
way by either maintaining or adopting a healthy lifestyle to prevent the early onset of high blood
pressure and the myriad complications that come with it. If your blood pressure is not normal, a healthy
lifestyle, good medical advice and some medication (if necessary) can help control your condition and
reduce the risk of contracting life threatening complications.