Yoga as good for your heart as aerobic exercise?
When you picture a yoga class, do you imagine it to be more introspective than physical? Do you shy away from it because you fear it won’t give you the intensity of a workout you need? Yoga actually, according to new research reported by Reuters, is as good for your heart as riding your bike or going for long walks.
When you picture a yoga class, do you imagine it to be more introspective than physical? Do you shy away from it because you fear it won't give you the intensity of a workout you need? Yoga actually, according to new research reported by Reuters, is as good for your heart as riding your bike or going for long walks.
After conducting 37 clinical trials, researchers discovered that yoga lowers blood pressure, cholesterol and heart rate as much as aerobic exercise does.
The study's leader, Paula Chu, a doctoral candidate in health policy at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, told Reuters: "Taken together, these improvements could facilitate and complement a regimen toward better cardiovascular health."
Another benefit of adding yoga to your fitness routine is that it is gentler on the body making it perfect for seniors and those with health issues.
During the clinical trials the team studied over 2,000 participants for 3 months to a year to compare the health benefits of yoga to either aerobic exercise or no exercise at all. Both aerobic exercise and yoga seemed to make similar improvements to a person's heart health. Chu said that because they looked at a variety of different types of yoga and the participants ranged in age and in health history much work still needs to be done to determine a fuller picture of how yoga improves our health.
The data they collected focused on heart disease risk factors like high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and high LDL cholesterol. Those participants who practiced yoga had reduced levels in many of these risk factors: "Systolic blood pressure (the top number) dropped by an average of 5.21 mm Hg, and diastolic pressure (the bottom number) dropped 4.9 mm HG. LDL "bad" cholesterol fell by an average 12.14 mg/dl and HDL "good" cholesterol rose by an average 3.20 mg/dl. Average heart rate was lower by a little over 5 beats per minute and weight loss averaged a bit over 5 pounds."
Interestingly enough, fasting glucose levels which are used to determine sugar control for diabetes showed no changes.
According to Dr. Larry Phillips, a cardiologist at NYU Langone Medical Center in New York who also spoke to Reuters, "I think what we've seen is with yoga and the relaxation and behavior modification that goes along with it, there is a benefit to all patients, but especially those with heart disease." Phillips was not part of the study.
While the findings are positive, Chu cautions against changing your medicine or fitness regimen without talking to your doctor first to make sure that yoga is the best fit for you.
Read more Sports Doc for Sports Medicine and Fitness.