Lower blood pressure with a sideways reach

You don’t have to break a sweat to lower your blood pressure (BP), a new Canadian study reveals. Simply stretching for 30 minutes five times a week lowers your systolic BP (top number) by up to 6 points and diastolic BP (bottom number) by up to 5 points more than exercise within eight weeks. “Stretching muscles also stretches the blood vessels that feed into the muscle, including the arteries,” explains study co-author Phil Chilibeck, PH.D. The result: reduced artery stiffness, which significantly improves circulation.

OR TAKE A BATH! Blissing out in a soak for 30 minutes at the end of the day lowers your systolic blood pressure 8 points more than exercising the same amount of time, say New Zealand investigators. Warmth dilates blood vessels, allowing for better flow.