Blood pressure can be a tricky thing. It’s a measure of how hard our heart works to pump blood around our body.
If it gets too high, we call it hypertension or high blood pressure, which can cause serious health problems.
To control high blood pressure, doctors usually suggest changes in diet, medication, and regular exercise.
However, scientists have been exploring new, fun ways to help with high blood pressure.
They have found that adding yoga, a traditional practice that combines physical exercise, mindfulness, and breathing techniques, to regular workout routines can be very effective.
Yoga or Stretching: Which is Better?
Yoga has been around for thousands of years and is a part of the daily life of millions of people worldwide.
With more and more people practicing yoga as a form of exercise, scientists have become curious about its benefits for heart health.
While stretching exercises and yoga may look similar, there are key differences that can affect our health.
Dr. Paul Poirier from the Quebec Heart and Lung Institute and Laval University in Canada led a study to find out if adding yoga to regular exercises can help reduce heart-related risks better than stretching.
An Exciting Study and What It Found
The research team invited 60 people who had previously been diagnosed with high blood pressure and metabolic syndrome, a group of conditions that increase the risk of heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes.
For three months, these participants were divided into two groups.
One group added 15 minutes of yoga to their 30-minute aerobic exercise routine five times a week, while the other group added 15 minutes of stretching instead.
The team checked several factors, including blood pressure, heart rate, and the likelihood of developing heart disease in the next ten years. After three months, both groups saw improvements in these factors.
But here’s the exciting part: the group that practiced yoga saw a greater reduction in systolic blood pressure (the top number in a blood pressure reading) and heart rate than the group that did stretching.
Yoga: More Than Just Stretching
The benefits of yoga for people with high blood pressure are clear, but scientists are still trying to understand exactly how it works. What they do know is that yoga does more than just stretching.
According to Dr. Poirier, the study’s results show that yoga could be an additional, non-medication option for reducing heart-related risks and controlling blood pressure.
Let’s Get Moving!
It’s always a good idea to stay active and find ways to relax, especially if we have high blood pressure or heart disease.
And the best part is, we can choose any form we like, be it yoga, aerobic exercise, or something else. What matters most is that we enjoy it and stick with it.
So, why not try out a yoga session today? Not only can it help with your heart health, but it can also be a fun way to stay fit and relaxed!
If you care about blood pressure, please read studies about cannabis linked to blood pressure reduction in older people, and this common plant nutrient could help reduce high blood pressure.
For more information about health, please see recent studies about how to live with high blood pressure, and results showing common antimicrobial in toothpaste was linked to inflammation in the gut.
The study was published in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology.
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