Colds and headaches come with obvious and unpleasant symptoms of high blood pressure. Some signs can go unnoticed, whereas others can cause serious consequences.
Here are some lifestyle changes you can make and advise others on maintaining a healthy blood pressure:
Staying active- Did you know that people should remain active for at least three-and-a-half hours per week- which adds up to 30 minutes per day. Regular exercise such as brisk walking, running or cycling will help reduce blood pressure.
Watching the weight- People can find out what their weight should be using this BMI calculator and should plan to lose a little weight if they need to- this can be done by exercising or just maintaining a healthy diet.
Eating healthily- Recommendations are to eat at least five portions of vegetables and two portions of fruit each day. Obviously, breakfast is the most important meal of the day! Why not change the unhealthy food you have throughout the day with fruit? Preparing a packed lunch for work will also save you money!
Cutting down on salt- Health experts advise eating less than six grams of salt a day. So, try and avoid adding salt while cooking and at the table. It is also advisable to check food labels for salt content- they can surprise you!
To be considered low in salt, food items should contain 0.3g or less of salt per 100g of product!
Reducing the booze- To reduce the risk of high blood pressure, it is advisable to limit alcohol consumption to three units per day for men and two per day for women.
Contact us for professional occupational health surveillance
As an employer, sickness and absence can prove extremely costly. As high blood pressure can lead to a broad range of serious illnesses, it is in your best interests to encourage your employees to watch their blood pressure.
If you are concerned about staff sickness and absence and would like to find out more about our occupational health-services which can help, contact Healthscreen for further information.
01455 243700
