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Yoga is an ancient technique that focuses on breathing, meditation, and the
body. Practicing yoga instills a deeper awareness of your emotions, mind, and
physical well-being, whichallows you to be more in tune with your mind, body, and spirit. Those who
choose to perform yoga for heart health reasons get the added benefits of
improved cardiovascular health along with
increased lung capacity, and better respiratory function as a result. It's a
great way to naturally decrease inflammation, build muscle, and boost blood
circulation.
Four Key Ways Yoga
Helps Your Heart
Not only is yoga a
good way to stay in shape, it can do much more for you than simply tone your
muscles. Here's how it can literally improve the health of your heart.
1. Improves blood
pressure.
Long-term blood
pressure can potentially damage the walls of blood vessels and weaken the
heart, which may cause plaque build-up and possibly narrow and/or block
arteries. This condition is the leading cause of stroke and heart attack.
While a lack of
exercise and poor diet are key players in contributing to high blood pressure,
there's also the element of stress. Yoga practice is a great way to help in
treating high blood pressure due to its ability to diminish the body's reaction
to ongoing stress.
2. Encourages physical
activity.
People who are
primarily physically inactive are literally twice as likely to develop heart
disease as opposed to those who regularly exercise according to health experts. Yoga enhances flexibility
and strength, which greatly improves cardiovascular health.
Studies show that
individuals who perform yoga have a much higher tendency to stick to an
exercise routine. A recent case study enrolled a group of people who were
previously inactive into yoga classes twice a week for a total of 10 weeks and
discovered that just by taking the classes the participants increased their
likelihood of continuing other physical activities as well.
3. Decreases stress.
When you encounter a
certain stressful situation, your brain floods your system with adrenaline in
helping you choose to either flee the imminent threat or fight it. This rush of
adrenaline causes an increase in your blood pressure and heart rate. While your
body's natural response to stress is to protect you, it can also tax your
cardiovascular system if you're constantly stressed out. Based on the findings
of the Heart and Stroke Foundation, individuals who are more prone to stress
suffer a greater risk for heart disease over their less stressed counterparts.
4. Counteracts
inflammation.
Inflammation is a
result of your body responding to harmful situations or injury as well as
stress. However, it's also the culprit of most pathologies, such as heart
disease. Therefore, learning to effectively relax by performing yoga may help
to diminish stress-related inflammation in the body.
Is Yoga Safe for
Everyone?
In general, yoga is
safe for virtually anyone. But, there are a few situations where it may pose
somewhat of a risk in certain individuals. In such cases, it may be necessary
to scale back some of the poses or at least find a temporary alternative.
If you're dealing with
any of the following situations or conditions, consult your health care practitioner prior to practicing
yoga for heart health.
- Severe osteoporosis
- Balance issues
- Artificial joints
- Some eye conditions,
such as glaucoma
- Unregulated high
blood pressure
- Severe osteoporosis
You can still practice
yoga despite these conditions by taking some key precautions, like eliminating
certain stretches or poses. No matter where you are in terms of your general health, it's important to start out gently and
slowly at first.
Faye Martins, is a
Yoga teacher and a graduate of the Yoga teacher training program at: Aura
Wellness Center in, Attleboro, MA. To receive Free Yoga videos, Podcasts,
e-Books, reports, and articles about Yoga, please visit: http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Faye_Martins
- START UP GUIDE
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- START UP GUIDE
BEGIN HERE in this 57
page quick, start-up guidebook explaining how to perform the Primal 12
workouts. Each workout from level 1 to level 3 is outlined with a color coded
timing protocol for the conditioning. Each of the daily journals has a clear
description of how to do the workout.