Our round-up of the latest Yoga Health stories of the month
Yoga can help reduce blood pressure
A new study find that yoga can effectively help lower blood pressure
The study, conducted by Dr. David Friedman, chief of Heart Failure Services at the North Shore-LIJ Plainview Hospital, tracked 58 men and women for six months.
The results of the study found that practicing yoga two to three times a week can significantly lower blood pressure. Dr Friedman commented “Yoga, along with deep breathing exercises, meditation, and inner reflection, is a good adjunctive and integrative cardiovascular approach to better health, including lowering blood pressure, as this data suggests. In addition to proper diet and aerobic physical fitness most days of the week, I recommend that my patients take time each day for the above measures of finding disciplined inner peace, for improved health and well-being.”
Any physical exercise can help to lower blood pressure, however, yoga has the added benefit of incorporating meditation, which has been proven to reduce stress. As stress is a contributing factor to high blood pressure, yoga works in two ways to reduce blood pressure.
Yoga poses to reduce blood pressure
Mountain pose
Stand with the sides of your big toes touching. Your second toes should be parallel and your heels slightly apart. Lift and spread your toes, and place them back down on the floor.
Sun salutation
Standing with both feet touching, bring your hands together (palm to palm) and place them at your heart. Keeping your hands together (interlacing the fingers if necessary), exhale and raise your arms upward. Slowly bend backward (gently) while keeping your arms stretched above your head.
Child’s pose
Drop down onto your knees, spread your knees wide, and bring your big toes together. Sit your hips back onto your feet or heels, and reach your arms forward on the ground. If possible, rest your forehead on the mat.
Meditation before exercise could help treat depression
A study published in the medical journal Translational Psychiatry found that meditating before exercise could alleviate some symptoms of depression. The study looked particularly at rumination, a common symptom of depression where a person gets stuck in a negative cycle of negative thinking. The volunteers practiced mindfulness meditation over the course of the eight-week study. At the end of the study, 40% of participants reported a reduction in rumination.
More evidence that Yoga is great for your heart
More and more cardiologists are recognizing the benefits of yoga in improving heart health.
Yoga has been found to reduce blood pressure and cholesterol as well as improving circulation and heart rate.
In addition, yoga relieves stress as it promotes living in the moment and letting go of the day’s worries. It does this by helping to focus the mind on the poses and on breathing correctly while practicing.
Lastly, studies have shown that yoga can also aid in smoking cessation, which is a known risk factor for heart disease and heart-related complications.
As you can see, yoga a few times a week can go a long way in improving heart health, giving yet another reason why you should incorporate it into your life.
The following poses are especially good for heart health.
• Mountain pose
• Tree pose
• Extended hand and foot pose
• Triangle pose
• Warrior pose
• Chair pose
• Cat pose
• Downward facing dog
We’ll have a further round up of yoga health news next month
References
www.belmarrahealth.com
https://consumer.healthday.com/alternative-medicine-information-3/mis-alternative-medicine-news-19/yoga-may-help-ease-high-blood-pressure-study-finds-676200.html” target=”_blank”>Cosumer.healthday.com
https://consumer.healthday.com/alternative-medicine-information-3/mis-alternative-medicine-news-19/yoga-may-help-ease-high-blood-pressure-study-finds-676200.html