Yoga As Good As Aerobics For Heart Disease Risk

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Yoga As Good As Aerobics For Heart Disease Risk

Yoga is just as good as aerobics, cycling and walking for cutting the risk of heart disease.
Although perfecting the Plough or honing the Heron might not seem enough to improve heart health, scientists have found it can be just as effective as more strenuous exercise.

Not only does it boost suppleness, Yoga can cut stress and increase fitness levels.

“Yoga has the potential to be a cost-effective treatment and prevention strategy given its low cost and lack of expensive equipment or technology.”

The team reviewed 37 trials which included 2768 people which measured the benefits of yoga compared with exercise and no physical activity.

When compared to no exercise, yoga was found to reduce BMI (Body Mass Index), lower blood pressure and reduce cholesterol. On average, subjects were 2.75kg lighter than those who did no exercise.

And they found that for patients with existing heart disease the benefits were even greater when coupled with statins.

In comparison with exercise itself, yoga was also found to be as beneficial as aerobic exercise. The investigators believe that it might be because it reduces stress.

 There are currently nearly 2.7 million people living with heart disease in the UK, costing the NHS around £3.2 billion each year ($5 billion USD)

Maureen Talbot, Senior Cardiac Nurse at the British Heart Foundation, said: “This study’s findings are promising, showing some improvement in blood pressure, cholesterol and weight, which are risk factors for cardiovascular disease.”

“The benefits could be due to working the muscles and breathing, which can bring more oxygen into the body, leading to lower blood pressure.”

Increasingly yoga has been proven to be beneficial for a number of conditions and is now recommended by the NHS for pregnant women and cancer patients.

An earlier study found that regular sessions of the exercise can help fight off depression as it boosts levels of a chemical in the brain which is essential for a sound and relaxed mind.

 The new research was published in the European Journal of Preventative Cardiology.

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