Tricks to lower your blood pressure instantly include taking deep breaths, practicing meditation, and reducing stress. In the long term, healthcare professionals recommend lifestyle changes to reduce high blood pressure.
Adopting a healthy diet such as the DASH diet, eating less salt, getting regular exercise, losing excess weight, and quitting smoking can all be effective. Supported by blood pressure medication, these habits can help you achieve healthy blood pressure, which for most adults is less than 120/80 millimeters of mercury (mmHg).
In emergency situations, hypertensive drugs can be delivered intravenously to reduce blood pressure quickly.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/GettyImages-1379324248-7dcdd4c9ff2d493cba138791d0246dc5.jpg "11 Ways to Lower Blood Pressure (Quick and Long Term) (1)")
1. Change Your Diet
People with high blood pressure are often told to eat less salt. Reducing the sodium in your diet can be difficult because many foods that you don’t think of as salty actually contain a lot of sodium. You’ll have to adjust your diet and monitor food labels; a dietitian can help with this.
2. Follow a Heart-Healthy Diet
You can stick to certain foods to lower blood pressure. According to one systematic review, the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet is the most effective dietary approach to reducing blood pressure.
This diet was created and funded by the National Institute of Health’s National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). It involves limiting sodium to 2,300 milligrams a day; limiting fried, sugary, fatty, and processed foods; and eating more foods that are rich in magnesium, calcium, and potassium.
Does Beet Juice Lower Blood Pressure?
Calcium-Rich Foods
Foods high in calcium include:
- Dairy products (milk, cheese, yogurt)
- Leafy greens (kale, spinach)
- Nuts and seeds
- Canned salmon
Potassium-Rich Foods
Potassium is a key nutrient, with food sources that include:
- Fruits (bananas, oranges, cantaloupe)
- Vegetables (acorn squash, sweet potato, avocado)
- Legumes (peas and beans)
- Dairy (yogurt, milk)
Magnesium-Rich Foods
You can add magnesium to your diet by eating:
- Peanut butter and nuts (almonds, cashews)
- Meats (chicken, ground beef)
- Vegetables (avocado, broccoli, carrots, potato)
- Legumes and whole grains (rice, black beans)
There’s some evidence that foods high in flavanols, including berries and apples, also can help to lower your blood pressure. Other studies support the role of dietary fiber in reducing blood pressure, with food sources including:
- Fruits (cherries, pectin-rich citrus foods, and berries)
- Whole grains (barley, wheat, oats)
- Resistant starches (rice, beans and other legumes, potatoes)
3. Eat Dark Chocolate
Regularly eating dark chocolate may help to lower blood pressure because of the flavanol content. This natural compound can relax blood vessels through vasodilation and improve blood flow.
There is still limited research evidence of dark chocolate’s benefits in reducing blood pressure in humans, as the effect may not have clinical significance. However, a 2022 review of 31 studies found dark chocolate consumption for at least two weeks may be better than cocoa drinks in delivering the amount of flavanol (notably epicatechins) that may reduce blood pressure.
4. Maintain a Healthy Weight
If you are overweight and have high blood pressure, losing weight could help normalize your blood pressure. Excess body fat means your heart needs to work harder to pump blood throughout your body. You can reduce the stress on your heart and blood vessels by keeping your weight at a healthy level.
A high blood pressure diagnosis begins with a systolic (first number) reading of 130 or more, or a diastolic pressure (second number) of 80 or more.
5. Get Enough Exercise
There is strong evidence to support regular exercise and physical activity as a way to lower blood pressure.
The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends adults get 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic physical activity weekly. Two days of muscle-strengthening exercises per week is also recommended.
Some ways to get this exercise include:
- Water aerobics
- Walking or hiking
- Golf
- Barre, Pilates, or yoga classes
- Weight lifting
- Resistance band exercises
- Dancing
- Running
- Tennis
- Biking
- Swimming
If you have high blood pressure and check your own blood pressure regularly, make sure you’re getting accurate readings at home. Incorrect cuff positioning, a full bladder, or physical activity immediately before a measurement can give an artificially high reading.
6. Quit Smoking
Smoking increases your risk of high blood pressure, heart attack, and stroke. Quitting smoking could make a big difference in your blood pressure. It can also help lower high cholesterol levels.
Even switching to an alternative, like e-cigarettes, could benefit blood pressure. One study found that smokers who reduced or quit smoking by switching to e-cigarettes effectively lowered their blood pressure long-term.
However, e-cigarettes have other health risks of their own. It’s best to make an end goal of quitting smoking altogether.
7. Reduce Alcohol and Caffeine Consumption
Alcohol can raise your blood pressure. Try to reduce your alcohol consumption, especially if you’re already at risk or have high blood pressure. The CDC recommends that men drink no more than two alcoholic drinks daily, and women no more than one.
While alcohol can raise your blood pressure long term, caffeine increases your blood pressure temporarily. Your blood pressure can be elevated for up to three hours after drinking coffee.
In order to get the most accurate blood pressure reading, avoid drinking coffee (or any caffeinated beverages) three hours before measurement. The good news is you don’t have to cut out coffee entirely.
A Word From Verywell
The lifestyle modifications listed in this article—especially a healthy diet, weight loss, regular exercise, not smoking, and limiting alcohol—will not only help to manage your blood pressure but can also help to prevent type 2 diabetes, a host of cardiovascular disorders, and cancer.
— RICHARD N. FOGOROS, MD, MEDICAL EXPERT BOARD
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/RichardN.FogorosMD-7b13b3811f4949b5a303d8bebaa1d6c9.png "11 Ways to Lower Blood Pressure (Quick and Long Term) (3)")
8. Try Supplements
Certain dietary supplements may help to lower blood pressure. However, both the AHA and American College of Cardiology (ACC) stress the importance of lasting diet and nutrition changes rather than supplements in treating hypertension.
Studies have demonstrated small improvements in blood pressure that occur in people taking calcium, potassium, and magnesium supplements, but research results can be mixed. One review of studies on vitamin D, for example, found evidence that people with adequate vitamin D intake (deficiencies are common) had a lower risk of hypertension, but it, too, called for more study.
Other supplements and alternative medicine options that may lower blood pressure include:
- Vitamin C (which may also reduce the risk of stroke)
- Coenzyme Q10
- Lycopene
- Omega-3 fatty acids
- Folic acid (vitamin B9)
Keep in mind that any supplements you take can have side effects or contribute to drug interactions, so discuss their use with a healthcare provider.
9. Improve Sleep
Getting poor-quality sleep can increase your risk of high blood pressure. The AHA recommends six to eight hours of sleep per night to avoid cardiovascular (heart) issues.
If you have trouble getting enough quality sleep, consider talking to your healthcare provider. They may recommend a sleep study to see if there are other underlying causes, like sleep apnea, or lifestyle changes to encourage better sleep habits.
10. Reduce Stress
A stressful situation can raise your blood pressure temporarily, and chronic stress can raise your blood pressure in the long term. Stress management is one of the best ways to naturally lower blood pressure. However, “stressing less” is easier said than done.
The following stress-reduction techniques may help you lower your blood pressure:
- Deep breathing techniques
- Mindfulness meditation and other mindfulness-based techniques
- Using a planner, calendar, or to-do list for better time management
- Therapy or counseling
- Journaling
- Yoga
- Crafting, walking, or another hobby or meaningful occupation
Taking a deep breaths and meditating are effective tricks to lower blood pressure instantly and slow your heart rate. You may also find other stress-reducing techniques like taking a warm shower or bath can help as well.
11. Manage Cholesterol and Blood Sugar Levels
High blood pressure along with high cholesterol or high blood sugar can increase your risk of cardiovascular disease. However, by controlling your cholesterol and blood sugar through lifestyle behaviors, you can help reduce this risk.
Staying physically active, maintaining a healthy weight, modifying your diet, not smoking, and drinking alcohol in moderation can help you lower not only high cholesterol levels, but also high blood pressure.
People with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes are more likely to have high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Good control of blood sugar levels can help people with diabetes manage blood pressure levels. You can achieve these goals by optimizing weight and getting adequate exercise.
12. Take Medication
Lifestyle steps typically are supported by medication to reduce blood pressure. If you have persistent high blood pressure, your healthcare provider may recommend a medication to lower your blood pressure.
The five types of medications used to lower blood pressure include:
- Thiazide diuretics
- Calcium channel blockers
- Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors
- Angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs)
- Beta-blockers
It is essential to follow your healthcare provider’s instructions with any medication. Often, you have to take blood pressure medication at the same time each day for the best results.
Blood pressure is highest in the morning because it follows your body’s circadian rhythm. Your blood pressure should be lower in the afternoon and evening.
Can Drinking Water Lower Blood Pressure?
Drinking enough water provides you with the optimal amount of fluids for your heart to pump without stressing it. Too little water can cause your blood pressure to lower or rise.
Being dehydrated can cause low blood pressure or orthostatic hypotension (a drop in blood pressure when changing position) due to low blood volume. Chronic dehydration, on the other hand, can lead to high blood pressure because your body reacts by constricting vessels.
Drinking a glass of water likely isn’t going to immediately reduce your blood pressure. However, maintaining optimal hydration can help manage your blood pressure in the long term.
Additional Drinks That Lower Blood Pressure Quickly
Some beverages also can help to lower blood pressure because they contain lycopene, potassium, or other elements associated with a health benefit for hypertension. These drinks include:
- Tomato juice
- Grapefruit juice
- Green tea (the resveratrol can help lower blood pressure)
Keep in mind that you should not use grapefruit juice with a number of other medications, including calcium channel blockers used to treat blood pressure and statin drugs to lower cholesterol.
When to Seek Medical Help for a Hypertensive Crisis
A person is in hypertensive crisis (a dangerous, sudden spike in blood pressure in which the systolic pressure is 180 mmHg or higher, and/or the diastolic pressure is 120 mmHg or higher). This is an emergency situation that requires immediate medical attention.
Medical treatment may involve delivering hypertensive drugs intravenously (into the vein).
Summary
Practice deep breathing and meditation to help lower blood pressure instantly. However, keep in mind these tricks produce only a temporary reduction in blood pressure.
Changes in diet, weight loss, exercise, stress reduction, quitting smoking, limiting alcohol and caffeine, and improving sleep quality can all lower your blood pressure long term. Your healthcare provider may also recommend blood pressure medication.
