Simple Lifestyle Changes that Work
Author: Dr. Vrolijk | Updated: August 23, 2025 | Disclaimer | Review Process | References
Your doctor says to “eat better and exercise more.” But what does that actually mean? Which changes matter most? Where do you even start?
Lowering blood pressure through lifestyle changes works. But, only if you know what to focus on and how to make changes that last. This page gives you practical steps that fit into real life.
On This Page:
Which Foods Help vs Hurt?
The foods you eat can raise or lower your blood pressure a lot. Knowing which foods help and which ones hurt lets you make choices that protect your heart.
The Food That Raises Blood Pressure the Most
Salt is the biggest problem. Your body holds onto extra water when you eat too much salt, which pushes up your blood pressure. Try to eat less than 2,300 mg (about 1 teaspoon) per day.
You probably eat most of your salt from processed foods or eating out. This is why cooking at home is one of the best ways to eat less salt.
How to Start:
- Cook at home more often – this helps control your salt intake
- Look for “low sodium” or “no salt added” foods
- Replace salty snacks like chips with fresh fruit
- Try flavoring food with fresh herbs, spices, lemon juice, or vinegar
Foods the Lower Blood Pressure
The Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet has been proven to lower blood pressure in studies. The diet includes:
- Lots of vegetables and fruit
- Some low fat dairy
- Whole grains over processed foods (e.g. brown rice, oats, quinoa, etc.)
- Some fish, chicken, and beans
How to Start:
- Keep healthy snacks where you can see them
- Make a shopping list before buying food
- Cook extra healthy food to save for later
Exercise & Movement
Moving your body often helps keep your blood pressure low and your heart healthy. Even a little exercise is better than none.
Best Types of Exercises
Any movement helps! But exercise where your heart beats faster and you might feel out of breath is most helpful. This includes brisk walking, swimming, cycling, or dancing.
How to Start:
- Set an alarm on your watch and phone for every hour or two
- When it goes off, take a 5-10 minute walk
- Try walking up and down stairs for a challenge
- Count everyday activities like cleaning or yard work
- Find something you enjoy – anything where you’re moving your body is great!
✷ Moving throughout the day is as important as dedicated exercise time. Take a 5-10 minute movement break when sitting.
Making Changes that Last
The best changes are ones you can stick with long-term. These strategies help you build habits that become part of your daily routine.
Quick Start: 3 Things You Can Do Today
- Pick one change from the food guide or movement & exercise
- Write down your goal somewhere you’ll see it
- Tell one support person about your plan
Tips for Success
- Pick just 1-2 changes to start with
- Break big goals into smaller steps
- Start with changes that feel doable
- Give yourself time to adjust
- Keep healthy snacks where you can see them
- Put your walking shoes by the door
- Make a shopping list before buying food
- Cook extra healthy food to save for later
- Write down what you do each day
- Use a phone app or simple notebook
- Note how you feel, not just numbers
- Look back to see how far you’ve come
- Tell friends or family about your goals
- Join online groups for support
- Ask someone to join you in making changes
- Share your successes with others
✷ Be kind to yourself. Changes take time. Focus on progress, not perfection. It’s normal to have set backs.
Quick Answers
Salt is the biggest food culprit for raising blood pressure. Your body holds onto extra water when you eat too much salt. This makes your blood pressure go up over time. You should eat less than 2,300 mg (or 1 teaspoon) a day.
Yes, potassium can lower blood pressure. You can used salt substitutes that have potassium. These help you eat less salt too! Or you can eat foods like fruits, vegetables, and beans to get more potassium.
Check with your doctor before taking potassium pills, though. You don’t want your potassium to get too high.
Important: Don’t eat a lot of potassium or take supplements if you have kidney problems or have ever had high potassium (hyperkalemia). Talk to your doctor if you’re unsure. Too much potassium is bad for your heart.
Most healthy adults won’t notice a difference in blood pressure unless they’re very dehydrated. But when someone is very dehydrated they will have low blood pressure.
Drinking water is good for you but won’t lower your blood pressure. If someone isn’t drinking enough water, their body does several things to adapt. When someone is healthy their:
- Kidneys hold onto water
- Arteries adapt to keep blood pressure the same
- Heart beats faster to deliver the same amount of blood
Start with 150 minutes per week (about 20 minutes daily). More is better. People who get 60+ minutes daily can offset the heart risks of sitting all day. Breaking up sitting with 5-10 minutes of walking will help too.
There’s no safe “quick trick” to instantly lower blood pressure. The readings you see from stress or anxiety will come down as you relax. True blood pressure improvement takes consistent lifestyle changes over weeks and months.
What to Read Next
All of Our Pages on Blood Pressure
Resources We Used
Appel L. Salt intake and hypertension. UpToDate. December 19, 2023. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/salt-intake-and-hypertension?topicRef=3852&source=see_link#H2396155834.
CDC. About sodium and health. Salt. April 19, 2024. https://www.cdc.gov/salt/about/index.html.
Dunstan DW, Dogra S, Carter SE, Owen N. Sit less and move more for cardiovascular health: emerging insights and opportunities. Nat Rev Cardiol. 2021;18(9):637-648. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41569-021-00547-y.
Exercise in the treatment and prevention of hypertension – UpToDate. Accessed October 28, 2024. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/exercise-in-the-treatment-and-prevention-of-hypertension?topicRef=3852&source=see_link.
Filippou CD, Tsioufis CP, Thomopoulos CG, et al. Dietary approaches to stop hypertension (DASH) diet and blood pressure reduction in adults with and without hypertension: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Adv Nutr. 2020;11(5):1150-1160. https://doi.org/10.1093/advances/nmaa041.
Grillo A, Salvi L, Coruzzi P, Salvi P, Parati G. Sodium intake and hypertension. Nutrients. 2019;11(9):1970. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11091970.
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