Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. While it’s certainly true that some of the concepts that are so prevalent in our culture, such as hours spent behind a desk and the popularity of fast food, have led to an increase in cases of hypertension.

Fortunately, controlling your blood pressure can be as easy as making a few changes to your daily routine. If you want to improve your heart health and enjoy a longer, happier life, start following these tips for lowering blood pressure today.

Adopt a Heart-Healthy Diet

One of the most effective ways to lower your blood pressure is to watch what you eat. Many of the processed foods that are so popular because of their convenience are loaded with preservatives and other chemicals that can increase your blood pressure. This is why cardiologists constantly preach the importance of eating the right foods.

While avoiding foods that can increase your blood pressure is a great place to start, there are actually foods out there that can lower your blood pressure. By following the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) Diet, you can eat tasty foods that will bring your blood pressure down.

Lean proteins, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy options are all shown to lower your blood pressure. Even if you only incorporate the minimum recommended amount of these foods into your daily diet, you can see a decrease in your blood pressure.

If you want to really take the next step in bringing your BP down, you can start replacing more of the food that you’ve been eating with these healthier alternatives. According to multiple studies, the DASH Diet can lower your systolic blood pressure (the top number) by 8-14 points and your diastolic blood pressure (the bottom number) by 5-10 points.

Get Active With Regular Exercise

Dieticians, cardiologists, and other experts in the world of heart health agree that diet is important, but if you really want to lower your blood pressure, you need to incorporate some level of exercise into your routine. High blood pressure is generally tied to a weak heart that has to work harder to push blood throughout the body.

When the heart, which is a muscle, becomes too weak to adequately pump blood through your body, your blood pressure is going to go up.

Regular exercise helps strengthen your heart, which lowers your blood pressure. You should generally try to get around 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise every week. On the surface, that seems like a lot, but even if you only exercise five days a week, that comes to only half an hour per day of moderate exercise.

Walking, jogging, swimming, and biking are all proven methods of increasing your heart rate. In the same way that working your biceps creates stronger muscles in your arms, taking part in activities that increase your heart rate strengthens your heart, which leads to lower blood pressure.

Regular aerobic exercise has been shown to lower blood pressure by five to eight points. According to studies, regular exercise can lower your risk of heart disease by anywhere between 20% and 30%.

Maintain a Healthy Weight

Eating healthier foods and being regularly active should allow you to lose weight. According to studies, more than 70% of patients in the United States who are dealing with high blood pressure are overweight.

By eating the foods that are listed in the DASH Diet and exercising regularly, you should experience a calorie deficiency. That means that you will be burning more calories than you consume, which should lead to weight loss.

Losing weight is only part of the equation, though. It’s equally important that you keep the weight off. Unfortunately, many patients who start dieting and exercising in order to lower their blood pressure seem to stop once they notice their blood pressure lowering. Inevitably, this leads to weight gain, which produces high blood pressure, and the cycle must start over.

One of the most important aspects of lowering your blood pressure is found in being consistent, even after you’ve reached your goal weight and your blood pressure is stable. If you have ever needed to lose weight to get your blood pressure down, you know how much work it requires.

Instead of constantly dealing with fluctuating weight and the stress that it places on your heart, keep the weight off once you lose it this time. Talk to your doctor about diet and exercise plans that can help you maintain your weight once you lose it.

Limit Alcohol and Stop Smoking

Eliminating some unhealthy behaviors is crucial when trying to lower your blood pressure. Drinking alcohol and smoking increase your blood pressure and can damage your blood vessels.

While an occasional glass of wine may not do much to damage your cardiovascular system, limiting the amount of alcohol that you consume is of vital importance when trying to control your blood pressure. Countless studies have been performed that point to the link between excessive alcohol consumption and hypertension.

As a general rule of thumb, men shouldn’t have more than two alcoholic drinks on a single day, and women shouldn’t consume more than one. It’s also important to note that even having one or two drinks every day can lead to cardiovascular problems, including high blood pressure.

While limiting the amount of alcohol you consume is a great tip for lowering blood pressure, giving up smoking completely is crucial. Ultimately, any amount of cigarette smoking is bad for multiple body systems, including your heart and lungs, which leads to increased blood pressure. Nicotine constricts your blood vessels and elevates your heart rate.

When the heart works harder and it becomes more difficult for blood to pass through your blood vessels, your blood pressure has to increase.

Giving up smoking completely and limiting the amount of alcohol you consume not only improves your cardiac health, but it also helps you avoid other potentially harmful side effects of both. When trying to become a healthier version of yourself, spend some time evaluating what you’re putting into your body, and weigh the pros and cons.

Manage Stress in a Healthy Way

One of the leading causes of high blood pressure is stress. Whether it pertains to your career or personal relationships, you can probably recognize some of the signs of your blood pressure increasing when you face a stressful situation. Understanding how to process that stress in a healthy manner not only brings your blood pressure down, but it can also improve your mental health.

Countless studies point to the relationship between prolonged stress and hypertension. With that in mind, you need to learn how to manage your stress in a healthy way. You probably can’t eliminate stress from your life, but you can decide how you’re going to process it.

Consider deep breathing exercises, stretching, or yoga if you need a physical way of dealing with your stress. If you want to take a more introspective approach, journaling your thoughts is an excellent way to process your stress in a healthy manner. The goal is to slow your mind down, even when you’re faced with stressful situations. Doing so will help you control your heart rate and blood pressure.

Monitor Your Blood Pressure

You cannot assume that your blood pressure is under control just because you start feeling better. Even if you’ve stopped experiencing some of the symptoms of elevated blood pressure, like headache, dizziness, or blurred vision, you still need to know what your blood pressure is.

Fortunately, you can get a quality blood pressure cuff that you can use at home from virtually any retail store. When you know how high (or low) your blood pressure is, you can better understand what’s working and what isn’t.

Knowledge is power, and no one needs to be more empowered than you when you’re battling against high blood pressure.

Follow Medical Advice

While it’s certainly true that you know your body better than anyone else, that doesn’t mean that you should ignore the advice provided by your doctor. While the internet is a great source for information about health and wellness, your doctor has received years of training and education about how to care for patients, including you.

Spend some time talking to your physician about how to get your blood pressure under control, and put his or her advice into practice.

If your doctor tells you to eliminate caffeine from your diet, stop drinking your cup of coffee every morning. If your doctor says you need to lose 20 pounds, start working out that afternoon. Put what your doctor says into practice like your life depends on it, as it just might.