Starting as low as 115/75 mmHg the risk of death due to heart disease doubles for every increase by 20 mmHg SBP (the top number) or 10 mmHg DBP (the bottom number). Achieving and maintaining a healthy blood pressure can have a significant impact on your health and longevity. Physicians typically encourage lifestyle modifications to reduce blood pressure. These modifications include weight reduction, diet changes, sodium restriction, physical activity and alcohol moderation.
Incorporating all these changes into your life can reduce your blood pressure anywhere from 21-55 points, eliminating the need for prescription drug therapy completely.
The following chart, adapted from the ACSM, shows how many points each modification has been shown to reduce systolic blood pressure.
| Modification | Recommendation | Systolic Blood Pressure Reduction (Range) mm HG |
|---|---|---|
| Weight Loss |
Maintain a BMI 18.5-24.9 |
5-20 per 22 lbs lost |
| DASH eating plan | Diet high in fruits and vegetables, and reduce saturated fat | 8-14 |
| Sodium Restriction | Consume less than 6g table salt daily | 2-8 |
| Physical Activity | 30 min activity daily most days of the week | 4-9 |
| Reduce Alcohol Consumption | Less than 2 drinks per day for men, 1 drink for women | 2-4 |
So what does this mean for you? It can be challenging to integrate all the modifications into your life at once, and doing too much too fast actually increases your chances of failure. First, identify one modification that you honestly feel you can start implementing immediately and commit to it 100%. Focus only on that one action, ignore the other modifications. If after 2-3 weeks you have successfully and consistently implemented that modification, chose another one to add. The long term goal is to slowly integrate all them into your normal, everyday life.
There will be set backs, and you may need to recruit the help of a fitness and nutrition expert for coaching. Keep your physician regularly updated on your progress. Finally, remember that health is a process. One set back does not doom you to complete failure. Refer to the chart frequently for motivation, and in times of difficulty, the chart can remind you how far you have come.
By
Amanda Allen MS, CSCS
