Exercise is good!

Even modest amounts of physical activity can help keep your blood pressure under control. In a study of sedentary people who began an exercise program to control their high blood pressure, all of the people experienced significant improvements in their blood pressure readings regardless of how much they exercised.

The minimum exercise duration in the study was 30 minutes per week. For optimal benefits, you should try to exercise for at least 30 minutes on most days of the week. In addition to regular exercise, other ways to control blood pressure include losing weight if you are overweight and limiting alcohol intake. Reducing sodium intake to 1,400 milligrams or less per day is important for salt-sensitive people.