Ssometimes after a fantastic yoga class you stand up off the mat and feel… amazing. Your muscles are relaxed, your mind is obvious, and also you swear you’ll be able to feel your blood coursing through your veins, supplying your body with all of the nutrients it needs.
Can yoga really be pretty much as good for you because it seems? Quite possibly so.
If you would like to live longer and healthier, you could want to contemplate how you’ll be able to incorporate yoga into your routine. Science shows that a commitment to consistent yoga practice can enhance flexibility, increase muscle strength, prevent injuries, strengthen the immune system, assist you go to sleep and reduce stress. It may additionally support good cardiovascular health and reduce the chance of developing cardiometabolic diseases similar to hypertension: Recently a test published in Canadian Journal of Cardiology found that adding just quarter-hour of yoga to your workout routine can improve your blood pressure and resting heart rate – and reduce your cardiovascular risk.
How Yoga Improves Heart Health
In a three-month study, researchers sought to find out whether adding yoga to regular exercise could reduce the chance of developing heart disease, leading reason for death on this planet. The research team recruited 60 individuals who had previously been diagnosed with hypertension and metabolic syndrome (increased risk of heart disease, diabetes and stroke) to take part in an exercise program.
Participants were divided into two groups: one did quarter-hour of yoga before a 30-minute cardio session five days every week, and the opposite did quarter-hour of stretching before the identical cardio session. The researchers then measured the participants’ blood pressure, glucose and lipid levels. After three months, each groups saw positive changes. But participants who practiced yoga for quarter-hour had significantly lower systolic blood pressure (greater than twice as much as those on stretchers) and showed lower resting heart rates and a reduced 10-year cardiovascular risk – something not seen with stretching. -only group
Reasons why yoga is superior to stretching
Why would there be a difference? One possibility is to focus yoga on controlled respiration. “Slow, deep respiration helps reap the benefits of the parasympathetic nervous system, which controls things like heart rate and blood pressure,” she says. Nicola Banger, PT, OCS, a physiotherapist on the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York who often works with yogis. “By consciously controlling your respiration during yoga, you’ll be able to lower your blood pressure, resting heart rate, and stress hormones.”
Others argue that yoga is superior to stretching since it engages each body and mind. “Yoga involves physical activity, respiration, and meditation – all of that are helpful to an individual’s physical, emotional and spiritual well-being,” explains Nina Moore, CPT, an authorized personal trainer with FORME. “Practicing yoga before aerobic activity can encourage greater mental presence and physical reference to the body while reducing the performance of several systems within the body.”
In addition, engaging in a mindfulness practice like yoga often encourages other healthy behaviors that support good cardiovascular health, similar to healthy eating, sound sleep, and managing stress.
And if yoga is not your cup of tea…
Of course, not all workouts are for everybody. If you have tried yoga and it just is not for you, Banger suggests doing a full range of multi-joint strength exercises. “You can still get the advantages of stretching when combined with eccentric (lengthening) muscle contractions. In addition, by practicing mindfulness and deep respiration, you’ll be able to get the same level of rest as whenever you practice yoga,” she says. “Ultimately, you’ll profit most from any practice you’re probably to be consistent in, or higher yet, enjoy it.”
