Many people around the world believe that yoga is one of the best ways to stay healthy, especially when it comes to heart and blood vessel health.
But a new study says that yoga might not be as helpful as other types of exercise when it comes to keeping your blood vessels in good shape. The research was published in the journal Advances in Integrative Medicine.
This study looked at a number of past research projects that compared yoga with other forms of exercise. The researchers focused on people who don’t move much in their daily lives—people who sit for long hours and don’t exercise regularly.
They reviewed randomized controlled trials, crossover studies, and others to see what kind of exercise helps most with something called vascular health.
Vascular health means how well your blood vessels, like arteries and veins, work to move blood around your body. If your blood vessels are flexible and respond quickly to changes in your body, they help prevent heart problems.
But if they become stiff or don’t work well, it can raise your risk for high blood pressure, stroke, and heart attacks. Sitting too much can damage your blood vessels, which is why movement is so important.
Dr. Leena David, one of the authors of the study and a lecturer at the University of Sharjah, explained the results in a simple way. She said you can think of your blood vessels like a garden hose.
If the hose becomes stiff, water doesn’t flow well. The same is true for your blood vessels. Regular exercise helps keep them flexible, but yoga, while helpful, doesn’t always do the job as well as other exercises.
The study found that traditional forms of exercise—like Tai Chi, Pilates, and high-intensity interval training—work better than yoga for improving vascular function, especially in people who sit a lot.
Dr. David added that even simple workouts can help repair the damage caused by too much sitting. She compared sitting for long periods to smoking, calling it “silent, sneaky, and stealing years from your arteries.”
It’s important to note that yoga still has many benefits. For older adults or people who can’t do hard workouts, yoga can still improve well-being. It helps with balance, breathing, and relaxation. But if your main goal is to improve the health of your blood vessels, the study suggests adding other kinds of exercise to your routine.
This research is especially important today, as more than 620 million people are living with heart and blood vessel diseases. At the same time, about 300 million people practice yoga around the world.
The researchers say that health care providers and fitness companies can use this information to design better programs to help people move more and improve their heart health.
In the end, the message is simple: movement matters. It’s not just about weight loss or looking fit. Moving your body helps keep your blood vessels healthy and your heart strong. Whether it’s a walk in the park, a short workout, or a yoga class, every bit of movement counts.
Reviewing the study findings, it becomes clear that while yoga offers important physical and mental benefits, it may not be enough by itself for improving vascular health. Traditional exercises seem to deliver more consistent and stronger effects in making blood vessels more flexible and improving circulation.
This does not mean yoga should be avoided—but rather that combining yoga with more active forms of exercise may be the best approach for heart health.
The study is published in Advances in Integrative Medicine.
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