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It’s no secret that exercise is good for your health. For years, heart-pumping, aerobic exercise has been touted as great for our bodies and our minds. But it’s not just this aerobic exercise that is good for you. Research shows that yoga can also benefit your cardiovascular health and be part of your overall health plan to maintain cardiovascular wellness.
What are the benefits of yoga?
Yoga has a host of health benefits, both physical and mental. It gets you up and moving and makes you generally feel better. Here are a few of the health benefits of yoga.
Improve sleep. Yoga can help you get a better night’s sleep by relaxing you and easing tension before you fall asleep. Use a bedtime yoga routine each night before you go to bed.
Weight control. Exercise is fantastic for managing your waistline. Burn some extra calories while doing different types of yoga.
Manage stress. Yoga breathing calms and relaxes while you sink into each pose. This helps lower your stress levels and leaves your mind at peace.
Give you energy. Yoga boosts your alertness and gets rid of negative feelings, stimulating your energy levels and creating ‘happy’ endorphins.
How can yoga improve heart health?
The benefits of yoga have been touted for years as a good reason to engage in the exercise regularly. But how does yoga for heart health work?
Beyond reducing stress and controlling your weight, which is crucial to preventing heart diseases, research shows some other benefits that indicate that yoga can be a fantastic preventative care measure.
Lowers Blood Pressure
Practicing yoga regularly may help your blood glucose levels, heart rate, and blood pressure. One study showed that when yoga was practiced regularly for 3 months, certain indicators of heart disease improved in patients with metabolic syndrome.
Reduce Inflammation
One study found that after doing yoga for about an hour a day, for 12 weeks, patients showed improvement in how well the heart can pump blood. It also found that these patients had reduced inflammation and had an overall better quality of life.
Healthier eating habits. Another study showed that people doing yoga for heart health tend to adopt other healthy lifestyle habits, including eating healthier and getting additional exercise.
Reduce Arterial Stiffness
As we age, the arteries in our bodies can start to harden. Yoga and other stretching exercises significantly reduce the stiffness of these arteries and improve heart function, according to this study.
Overall, the American Heart Association says that doing yoga regularly can improve circulation, respiratory function, and heart rate. It may also increase lung capacity.
Easy Yoga Positions
There are many yoga poses that can help with heart health, flexibility, stress relief and sleep. If you’re a beginner looking to get started with yoga, here are two poses to get you going.
Standing forward bend. Stand with your feet just slightly apart. Bend forward, slowly bringing your head toward your knees. Rest your fingertips on the floor in front of your feet, or reach as close to the floor as you can.
Legs up the wall. Lie on the floor, on your back, as close to a wall as possible. Position both of your legs going up the wall in front of you. Lay this way for several minutes and breathe deeply.
Is Yoga Right for Me?
Yoga is right for many people, but as with any exercise, you should consult with a physician before beginning the program. If you have a health or heart condition or are at risk of blood clots, herniated disks, high blood pressure, are pregnant, or have balance issues, be sure to see a physician before practicing yoga.
If you’d like to start a yoga for heart health program but want to be sure it’s safe for you, request an appointment with our physician today. He can get you started on the path to a healthier you.