Sedentary lifestyle, stressful conditions and junk food are some of the reasons which make human life miserable. To lead a healthy life, it is essential to follow healthy habits. By inculcating healthy habits such as following a routine, exercising, avoiding junk food will make us stay stress free and happy and thus will enable us to lead a purposeful life.

These days most of the people suffer from blood pressure or BP problems. High blood pressure or Hypertension leads to many heart diseases. It is important to keep your BP under 140/90 mm Hg. It is dangerous, if it is on a higher side.

Here are 10 healthy habits for your BP:

1. Reduce weight- Increase in weight often results as rise in blood pressure. So watch out for your weight to control blood pressure. Also, having too much weight around the waistline is said to be a major cause of increased blood pressure. Also, if you are already on medications for BP they will be more effective if you reduce weight.
2. Regular exercise- At least 30- 60 minutes of exercise should be done daily as it can lower the BP by 4-9 mm of mercury (mm Hg). Make an exercise regime and follow it sincerely, this healthy habit will surely keep your blood pressure under check.
3. Eat healthy, stay healthy- Food determines the way our body is. If you regularly consume food rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low fat dairy products, you will remain healthy. Also avoid as much junk food as you can. Maintain a food diary and keep a check on yourself. Cut down on snacking on fried and junk, instead have salads and fruits.
4. Check your salt intake-It is important to check your salt intake. A high intake of salt can prove to be very dangerous whereas even a slight decrease of salt in your diet can reduce blood pressure by 2 to 8 mm Hg.
5. Consume alcohol in moderation- Alcohol, if taken in moderation can lower your blood pressure by 2 to 4 mm Hg. However, if you drink more alcohol, it can raise blood pressure and can also reduce the effectiveness of BP medicines
6. Say no to smoking and tobacco-The nicotine present in tobacco can increase the BP by 10 mm Hg or more for up to an hour. If you are too much into smoking, it means you have a high blood pressure all through the day.
7. Limit caffeine intake-  Though, it is still not clear whether caffeine has a temporary or long term effect on BP, but consuming beverages with caffeine do raise the BP.As per the doctors, one should not consume more than 200mgs of caffeine a day, i.e. 2 cups of coffee.
8. Stay happy- Try to stay happy and at peace as much as you can. Stress is one of the major factors of increased blood pressure. Try to eliminate stress by deep meditation, yoga and by spending time with family.
9. Visit a doctor regularly- Keep a track of your Blood pressure, by visiting a doctor once in every three months. If you feel something is wrong somewhere in your body, talk to the doctor.
10. Make others also aware-Friends and family are a person’s greatest strength. Talk to them about these healthy habits and try to put them in practice. May be you do not feel like walking alone; go for walks with your friends. Monitor each other’s diet and weight; trust me it would be fun and the results will be amazing.

Remember, increased blood pressure is not a disease; you can control BP whenever you want by inculcating healthy habits in your life style.

Image credit- southtexasblood.org