Popping a pill is the easiest way to lower blood pressure. It takes just a few seconds, and you are finished; however, fully relaxing your body and mind for a few minutes a day could lower your systolic blood pressure reading by 10 points or more—at no cost, and with no side effects.
Researchers at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital compared a stress management technique called the relaxation response with lifestyle changes such as sodium reduction, weight loss, and exercise. They found blood pressure decreased more in the relaxation response group; 32 percent were able to eliminate one blood pressure medication and still keep their blood pressure under control compared with 14 percent in the lifestyle group.
The relaxation response reduces heart rate, blood pressure, breathing rate, and muscle tension. Here’s how to do it:
• Focus on a word, a short phrase, or a prayer.
• Sit quietly in a comfortable position and close your eyes.
• Relax your muscles, progressing from feet to calves, thighs, abdomen, up to your neck and face.
• Breathe slowly through your nose, silently saying your focus word, phrase, or prayer as you exhale.
• When other thoughts come to mind, return your attention to your focus phrase, or prayer.
• Do this for 10–20 minutes.
• Sit quietly for a minute, then open your eyes.
• Practice the relaxation response once or twice daily.
Blood pressure is the force that a wave of blood propelled from the heart exerts on the arteries. It is measured at two points and recorded in millimeters of mercury (mm Hg).
Systolic pressure, the top number of a blood pressure reading, gauges the pressure in the arteries at systole (SIS-tuh-lee), the instant when the heart contracts and pushes a wave of blood along the arterial tree (think “s” for squeeze).
Diastolic pressure, the bottom number of the reading, reflects the pressure during diastole (die-AS-tuh-lee), the brief period of relaxation between beats.
Hypertension is the formal name for high blood pressure.