High blood pressure is often called the “silent killer” for a reason.1 You can feel completely fine and still be walking around with a condition that slowly damages your body every single day.1
Nearly half of adults in the United States have high blood pressure, yet many don’t even know it.1 Left untreated, it raises the risk of heart attack, stroke, chronic kidney disease, and even problems with memory and vision.2 The good news is this: you don’t have to fix it all overnight. With steady changes, you can make real progress.
What Blood Pressure Really Is
Think of your blood vessels like a system of hoses carrying water from one place to another.1 Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against the walls of those vessels as the heart pumps. When that pressure is in a healthy range, blood flows smoothly and organs get the oxygen they need.1
But when the pressure is too high for too long, it’s like turning the water faucet on full blast and leaving it there. The constant force damages the lining of the arteries, making them stiff and narrow.1 Over time, that extra stress forces the heart to work harder, and it increases the risk of heart failure, stroke, kidney disease, and even blindness.1 Understanding this hidden danger is the first step toward protecting yourself.
The Reality for Black and Brown Communities
For Black and Brown communities, high blood pressure is more than a medical condition, it’s part of a larger story of health inequities.3 Black adults in the U.S. develop high blood pressure earlier in life, often with more severe complications.3 They are also more likely to die from heart disease and stroke compared to white adults.3
This isn’t simply about personal choices. Systemic factors play a huge role: neighborhoods without easy access to fresh food, higher levels of stress linked to racism and economic inequality, limited access to preventive care, and experiences of bias within the healthcare system.3 All of these factors add up, making it harder to control blood pressure even when people are trying their best.
That’s why addressing blood pressure in Black and Brown communities is about more than individual lifestyle changes, it’s about demanding equity in healthcare access, resources, and support.3 But while we fight for systemic change, there are also practical steps individuals and families can take right now to protect their health.
With small, steady changes made over time, you can bring those numbers down and your NOWINCLUDED fam is here to help! Here’s a simple six-month roadmap to get you started.
The 6-Month Plan to Lower Your Blood Pressure
Month 1: Know Your Numbers
The first step in any plan is awareness. You can’t improve what you don’t measure.
- Get your blood pressure checked at a doctor’s office, pharmacy, or with a home monitor.4
- Keep a simple log of your readings. As you start your log, remember to write them down or use an app to track your blood pressure over time.
- Learn your goal. Most adults should aim for less than 120/80, but your provider may set a personalized target.4
- Share your numbers with your healthcare provider so they can track changes over time.
Month 2: Eat Smarter
What you put on your plate has a powerful effect on blood pressure. Too much salt (sodium) is one of the biggest culprits.4
- Cut back on processed and packaged foods, which are often loaded with hidden salt.4
- Swap salt for flavor: try herbs, garlic, onion, lemon, or spices.
- Add more fruits and vegetables to your meals, like bananas, leafy greens, and beans are especially rich in potassium, which helps balance sodium.4
- Choose lean proteins like chicken, fish, or plant-based options instead of fried or fatty meats.4
- Try the DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension), which was designed specifically to lower blood pressure.4
Month 3: Move More
Exercise is like medicine for your heart and blood vessels. It makes the heart stronger and helps blood flow more easily.
- Aim for at least 30 minutes of activity five days a week.4
- Walking briskly, biking, swimming, or dancing all count! It’s important that you find what you enjoy.4
- Break it up: three 10-minute walks a day are just as effective as one 30-minute session.
- Add strength training twice a week to keep muscles strong and metabolism healthy.
- If you sit most of the day, stand up and move around at least once an hour.
Month 4: Manage Stress
Stress raises blood pressure temporarily, and constant stress can keep it elevated. Learning to manage it can protect your health.4
- Practice deep breathing: inhale slowly for four counts, hold for four, exhale for four. Repeat.
- Try meditation, prayer, or journaling to quiet the mind.
- Set aside even 10 minutes a day for relaxation.
- Connect with supportive people, like community, family, or friends who can ease your load.
- Prioritize sleep: aim for 7–9 hours, as poor sleep can raise blood pressure.
Month 5: Cut Back on Alcohol and Tobacco
Both alcohol and tobacco directly harm your blood vessels and raise pressure.4 Cutting back, even gradually, makes a difference.
- If you drink, keep it to no more than one drink per day for women, and two for men.4
- Choose alcohol-free days during the week to give your body a break.
- If you smoke, make a quit plan: set a date, tell supportive people, and explore nicotine replacement or counseling.
- Avoid secondhand smoke, which can also raise blood pressure.4
- Celebrate small wins. Every cigarette skipped and every drink reduced lowers risk.
Month 6: Stick With It and Check In
By this stage, you’ve started building healthier habits. Now it’s time to measure your progress and make adjustments.
- Schedule a check-up with your doctor to compare your blood pressure now with where you started.
- Keep tracking your readings to see how your new habits are working.
- Don’t get discouraged if the numbers aren’t perfect, lowering blood pressure is about steady improvement, not instant results.4
- Reward yourself for progress with something non-food related, like a massage, a new book, or time off.
- Remember, these aren’t temporary fixes. They’re lifelong habits that protect your heart and health.
Conclusion
High blood pressure doesn’t develop overnight, and it won’t disappear overnight either. But six months of consistent changes can lower your numbers and lower your risk for serious health problems down the road. For Black and Brown communities, this work is especially urgent.
Taking control of blood pressure is an act of protection, not only for yourself, but for your family and future generations.
References
- AHA. (2025, August 14). What is High Blood Pressure? Retrieved from American Heart Association: https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/high-blood-pressure/the-facts-about-high-blood-pressure
- AHA. (2025, August 14). Health Threats from High Blood Pressure. Retrieved from American Heart Association: https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/high-blood-pressure/health-threats-from-high-blood-pressure
- Forde, A., Sims, M., Muntner, P., Lewis, T., Onwuka, A., Moore, K., & Diez Roux, A. V. (2020). Discrimination and Hypertension Risk Among African Americans in the Jackson Heart Study. AHA | ASA Journals: Hypertension. doi:https://doi.org/10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.119.14492
- AHA. (2025, August 14). How to Manage High Blood Pressure. Retrieved from American Heart Association: https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/high-blood-pressure/changes-you-can-make-to-manage-high-blood-pressure
