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Did you know eating too much salt each day is one of the main causes of high blood pressure, and can also cause heart and cerebrovascular problems? It's true. Cutting your salt consumption makes your heart, blood vessels and liver work more efficiently, and also strengthens your bones.
If you care about your blood pressure and your heart, keep a close eye on the weighing scales. Are you slightly overweight? You can reduce the risk of hypertension by making dietary changes and losing a few kilos to reduce the fats in your blood and improve your cardiac health. Did you know that each kilogram of weight you lose reduces your blood pressure by one millimeter of mercury? That's an impressive result!
Your high blood pressure will become a thing of the past if you stop smoking. The nicotine contained in cigarettes increases your blood pressure, your heart rate, and the quantity of blood your heart pumps through your circulatory system and coronary arteries. There's no way around it: smoking is one of the main causes of hypertension, but if you stop, you're reducing the probability of stroke by up to 50%, and you're 5 times less likely to suffer other cardiovascular problems. Apart from smoking, we also recommend that you don't overdo the alcohol.
If your blood pressure is a bit high, try eating more fruit and vegetables. They are foods that help to eliminate free radicals from your body, one of the main causes of damage to your blood vessels. But that's not all: fruit and vegetables also contain potassium, a mineral that may itself reduce blood pressure.
Regular physical activity burns off excess calories and reduces your weight. The best exercise you can do is walking or swimming for about half an hour a day, a small sacrifice that will make your blood pressure go down by 5% to 10%. Bear in mind that anxiety and stress also increase your blood pressure. If you can control them, you'll experience immediate results.
If you suffer from hypertension, there are lots of sports you can do, such as cycling on level ground, cross-country skiing, swimming, golf, walking or running, trekking, skating, canoeing, bowls, fishing and shooting. These are all aerobic, strength-building activities, perfect for reducing your blood pressure.
