It seems that in order to manage or lower the risk of heart disease, exercises which rev up our heart aren’t the only ones beneficial.
Namely, a calming practice such as yoga also has cardiovascular benefits. In fact, a growing number of studies indicates of a positive aspect for the heart.
According to Hugh Calkins, MD and director of the Cardiac Arrhythmia Service at Johns Hopkins, there’s been a major change in the last decade in the number of experts who acknowledge these advantages.
Why Is Yoga Never a Bad Choice?
Yoga is a body and mind activity which involves moving through several poses and breathing exercises with the goal to boost the strength, balance, flexibility, and induce relaxation.
There are a large number f yoga practices, including hatha, ashtanga, etc.
Each of these varieties focuses on different aspects, most commonly toning, strength training or meditation.
One of the most notable benefits of yoga is the capacity to relax the body and mind, which also helps the heart.
Unfortunately, emotional stress is known to lead to a variety of physical problems, like higher secretion of adrenaline and cortisol which make the arteries more narrow and increase the blood pressure.
Through deep breathing and focus on the breathing, yoga helps minimize this type of negative stress.
Yoga Is Especially Good for Our Heart Health
By lowering stress, yoga practice can help reduce blood pressure, blood cholesterol, and blood glucose, as well as the heart rate.
Studies have shown that slow-paced yoga twice per week lowered the atrial fibrillation episodes in patients who had this condition.
Another report found patients with heart failure who did yoga for 8 weeks with improved exercise capacity and quality of life.
Their blood levels of inflammation markers were also lowered.
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