10 ways to manage high blood pressure without medicine

If you have high blood pressure, you may wonder if you need to take medicine to treat it. But lifestyle changes also play a big role in treating the condition. Managing blood pressure with a healthy lifestyle might prevent, delay or lessen the need for medicine.

High blood pressure also is called hypertension. Here are 10 lifestyle changes that can lower blood pressure and help keep it down.

Weight loss in people who are overweight is the strongest lifestyle factor that can lower blood pressure. If you're overweight or have obesity, losing even a small amount of weight can help lower blood pressure. Blood pressure is measured in millimeters of mercury (mm Hg). In general, blood pressure might go down by about 1 mm Hg with each kilogram (about 2.2 pounds) of weight lost.

The size of the waistline is important, too. Having too much weight around the waist can raise the risk of high blood pressure. The greater the waist measurement, the greater the health risk, including high blood pressure.

In general:

• Men are at risk if their waist measurement is greater than 40 inches (102 centimeters).
• Women are at risk if their waist measurement is greater than 35 inches (89 centimeters).

Choose whole grains, fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy products. Eat less saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol. Choose nutrients such as potassium, calcium, magnesium and fiber.

A healthy diet can lower the top number in a blood pressure reading, called systolic pressure, by up to 11 mm Hg. Examples of eating plans that can help manage blood pressure are the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet and the Mediterranean diet.

Regular aerobic exercise can lower high blood pressure by about 5 to 8 mm Hg. It's important to keep exercising to keep blood pressure from rising again. Try to get 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity or 150 minutes of moderate physical activity per week.

Exercise also can help keep blood pressure that's slightly above the normal blood pressure category, called elevated blood pressure, from turning into hypertension.

Some examples of aerobic exercise that can help lower blood pressure are walking, jogging, cycling, swimming and dancing.

Strength training also can help lower blood pressure. Try to do strength training exercises at least two days a week. Talk with a healthcare professional about setting up an exercise program for you.

Less sodium in the diet can improve heart health and blood pressure in most people. Sodium's effect on blood pressure varies among groups of people. Limit sodium to 2,300 milligrams (mg) a day or less. But for most adults, limiting sodium to 1,500 mg a day or less is better. Doing that may lower high blood pressure by about 5 to 6 mm Hg.

To lower sodium in the diet:

• Read food labels. Look for low-sodium or no-sodium foods and drinks.
• Eat fewer processed foods. Only a small amount of sodium is natural in foods. Most sodium is added during processing.
• Don't add table salt. Use herbs or spices to add flavor to food.
• Cook your own food. Cooking your food lets you manage how much sodium you put in it.
• Use a potassium-based salt substitute. This not only helps lower sodium but adds potassium to your diet.

Drinking too much alcohol can make your blood pressure go up. And alcohol can keep blood pressure medicines from working well.

If you choose to drink alcohol, limit how often you drink and keep the amount small. For overall health, drink one or fewer drinks a day. Do not drink every day. The less you drink, the better. One drink equals 12 fluid ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof liquor.

One of the best things you can do for your heart health is to stay away from tobacco or nicotine products. This includes electronic cigarettes and vaping devices. Tobacco and nicotine raise blood pressure. Not using these products may lower your risk of heart disease and improve overall health.

Also stay away from the smoke from a burning cigarette or pipe and the smoke a tobacco user breathes out. Such smoke is called secondhand smoke.

If you need help quitting, talk with your healthcare team about programs or treatments that can help.

Getting fewer than seven hours of sleep every night for weeks can affect blood pressure. Conditions that can disturb sleep include sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome and sleeplessness, also called insomnia. Being overweight also can cause pauses in breathing while you sleep, a condition called sleep apnea. Sleep apnea raises blood pressure.

Adults should try to get 7 to 9 hours of sleep every night. Let your healthcare professional know if you often have trouble sleeping. Finding and treating the cause can help improve sleep. But if you don't have sleep apnea or restless legs syndrome, follow these simple tips for getting more restful sleep.

• Stick to a sleep schedule. Go to bed and wake up at the same time each day. Try to keep the same schedule on weeknights and on weekends.
• Make where you sleep restful. Keep the sleeping space cool, quiet and dark. Do something that relaxes you in the hour before bedtime. That might include taking a warm bath or doing relaxation exercises. Turn off screens such as your TV, phone and computer screen.
• Watch what you eat and drink. Don't go to bed hungry or too full. Try not to have large meals close to bedtime. And don't use nicotine, caffeine and alcohol close to bedtime.
• Take shorter naps. If napping during the day helps you, keep naps to 30 minutes or less, and take them earlier in the day. You may sleep better at night.

Long-term stress may play a part in high blood pressure. But more research is needed to tell if lowering stress can help bring down blood pressure.

The American Heart Association suggests meditation and deep breathing exercises to help lower stress.

Connecting with friends and family also may help lower stress. Think about joining a support group. You may find that talking about your health concerns with others in similar situations can help.

Check your blood pressure at home to help make sure that your lifestyle changes are working.

You can buy a home blood pressure monitor without a prescription at many stores. Talk with a healthcare professional about checking your blood pressure at home before you start. Learn how to check your blood pressure. And track your blood pressure so you can see the pattern over time.

Regular visits with a healthcare professional are an important part of blood pressure management. Ask your healthcare professional how often you need checkups.

High blood sugar and high levels of "bad" non-HDL cholesterol do not affect blood pressure directly. But they do raise the risk of heart disease. Non-HDL cholesterol is your total cholesterol minus your "good" HDL cholesterol.

Some of the same healthy habits that help lower blood pressure also help manage cholesterol and blood sugar. Eat healthy, exercise more, lose extra weight and don't smoke. Follow your healthcare professional's advice on how to manage cholesterol and blood sugar.

Making lifestyle changes takes time. Some days it might feel challenging. So ask your family or friends for support when you need it. Support can come in many ways. Friends or family may drive you to healthcare checkups or exercise with you to keep your blood pressure low.