We’ve talked about the benefits of yoga before, but I wanted to take a moment to share a newer article promoting its benefits.
One reason yoga is so beneficial is it’s less intense, less boring, and less painful than many forms of exercise, which makes it easier to stick to. But it’s also been tested extensively for its benefits to heart health.
A group of researchers set out to study whether yoga can modify traditional cardiac risk factors. They did what’s called a meta-analysis, in which smaller studies are combined to answer a larger question. They found 1404 studies on yoga – 37 were direct comparisons of yoga to either no exercise, or traditional aerobic exercise.
The results of yoga versus no exercise were clear. Compared to non-exercisers, those who practiced yoga sustained significant improvement in cardiac risk factors. On average, yogis lost 2.35 kg of body weight, lowered their blood pressure by 5 mm/hg, and improved their cholesterol profiles by reducing LDL and increasing HDL.
It’s getting easier and easier to find yoga studios, even in very small towns. If you’ve been looking for some type of exercise to do then this is a good choice. Of course, you do want to ask your doctor before starting any exercise program at all.
Have any of you tried yoga? How well did it work for you?
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