Blood Pressure Control

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dajero1
dajero1 Posts: 78 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I'm 58 years old, pretty active, but not usually a regular exerciser. I've noticed B.P. rising over the last couple of years. Always borderline hypertension and sometimes above. Question: Would like to hear from anyone who was successful lowering BP with diet so they did not need to go on medicine. Thanks

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  • MindyBlack
    MindyBlack Posts: 954 Member
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    Yep!! Me! My rapidy increasing blood pressure was the main motivator to get me to lose weight. I was firmly in the prehypertensive range and occasionally rising into the hypertensive range. Once I went to the ER for back pain and it was freakishly high, as in they wouldn't let me leave until it was lower. I know part if that was due to pain, but still.
    My last reading about a week ago was 115/73. I am quite proud of that. I have never taken BP meds. I exercise daily and eat much better and have lost over 80 pounds. That was the right prescription for me.
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,326 Member
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    hi when i started out to lose weight i had just been diagnosed with high blood pressure and my doctor was at first going to prescribe meds but i made a deal hat i would first try losing weight to see if that would help. she gave me 3 months and in that time i significantly decreased my blood pressure to the point where it was back to normal and has stayed that way.

    diet : i stopped eating out so much and started making my food t home and tracking what i eat. more clean foods like fresh protein and produce. also less processed foods that tend to be high in sodium anyway. make sure to track your sodium. MFP gives you that option.

    exercise : i've always been more of a weight lifter but my doctor prescribed against heavy weight lifting until i got my BP lower since lifting (especially the heavy lifting i do) can cause a a temp spike in your BP, and if you're already high to begin with, then that can be dangerous. so for the first few months i concentrated mainly in cardio, improving my endurance. her suggestion was to stick to a certain heart beat range. i'd walk at a speed that kept me in that range for 30 minutes and trust me it was HARD at first but i stuck with it.

    after 3 months of that i'd lost about 15 pounds and my blood pressure was back to normal.
  • crickysue
    crickysue Posts: 67
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    I know that when my wight is down ( under 180lbs) my Dr. is happy. I did have to go on meds about a year ago, and again it was because I let my weight get out of control. I have read that if you loose just 10% of your body weight it is easier to control your BP. Also I find avoiding sodium, soft drinks, salt, canned goods and fast food all help.

    Cricket:smile:
  • jsidel126
    jsidel126 Posts: 694 Member
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    I have been able to reduce my BP back to a normal level using exercise and diet. I started about 9 months ago when I noticed
    my BP rising after stopping walking/running last year. I restarted walking regularly over an hour on hilly paths. I reduced my
    consumption of fast food and reduced my sodium intake. I have added more fruits and veggies into my diet. I am currently
    doing the C25k program to allow me to run a 5k. My BP is now in the normal range after dropping about 40 pts.

    I believe that the regular aerobic exercise had a larger influence on the BP than the dietary changes. I am not sure I could have
    done this with dietary changes alone.

    Off to my next c25k run ... :happy:
  • mshelburne12
    mshelburne12 Posts: 5 Member
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    I'm 58 years old also and my blood pressure had crept up over the years. My situation is different, even with my weight under control my BP is too high ( althought all my other "numbers" drop nicely). In my case it's more hereditary.

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