Not a fan of running or bike-riding? Yoga may be as good for your cardiovascular system as aerobic exercises.
According to a new study in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology suggested Yoga may be as beneficial as more traditional physical activities such as walking or biking in reducing the risks of cardiovascular disease.
Investigators from the United States and Netherlands conducted a systematic review of 37 randomized controlled trials, which included 2,768 subjects. The aim of the analysis was to examine whether yoga is beneficial in managing and improving cardiovascular disease risk factors and whether it could be an effective therapy for cardiovascular health.
The study compared those who practiced yoga with those who didn’t. Those who practiced yoga had:
- Lower blood pressure
- Lower LDL (bad cholesterol)
- Lower body mass index (BMI)
- Increased HDL (good cholesterol)
Results showed that risk factors for cardiovascular disease improved more in those practicing yoga than in those not taking part in any aerobic exercise. In fact, yoga had an effect on risk factors comparable to aerobic exercise.
The prevalence and cost of cardiac disease is growing. As the number 1 cause of death in America, heart disease accounts for some 600,000 deaths per year. Indeed, 40 percent of the U.S. population is expected to have some form of cardiovascular disease in the next 20 years, according to the American Heart Association. The cost of heart disease in healthcare services, medications, and lost productivity tops $109 billion per year, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
The American Heart Association still recommends 150 minutes of aerobic exercise per week, but this study could lead to yoga as a recommended therapy for patients with risk factors for cardiovascular disease.
Linking yoga to cardiovascular health is not a new idea. For over 30 years, Dr. Dean Ornish has recommended yoga for reducing stress. In fact, the Dr. Dean Ornish Program for Reversing Heart DiseaseTM includes yoga as one of the fundamental activities for reversing heart disease.
To learn more about the Ornish program, please visit www.undoitwithornish.com
This article was originally written by Amy Katz and published on Healthways.