by Carl Marshall

Created on: October 03, 2010

Yoga is a practice which can enhance both the mind and body. Flexibility, strength, balance, breathing, coordination and relaxation can all be achieved through regular yoga workouts.

So, are there specific benefits for the cardiovascular system?
In order to progressively improve in performing the yoga poses, muscles are forced develop stronger to cope with the demands. There are many different poses, and the body can be challenged over a lifetime. It is therefore, not surprising that yoga can speed up the body's metabolism. This in turn can have a positive effect on cardiac performance.

Can yoga reduce risk of heart attacks?
The empirical data indicates there are benefits in terms of reducing risk. There are two mechanisms by which practising yoga does this.

There is the sense of relaxation and calmness which the exercise instils. This can decrease arterial constriction. Then there are certain yoga poses which contribute sufficiently intense physical activity to improve lung capacity. This is where blood flow is improved and the heart doesn't have to work as hard to deliver fresh nutrients and oxygen to organs and muscles.

What research has been conducted?
A study by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, showed that a lifestyle intervention of yoga caused favourable metabolic effects. This was a 9 day study which involved people who had at least one major heart disease risk factor, such as hypertension or diabetes.

At the end of the 9 days, fasting glucose, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, VLDL cholesterol, the ratio of total cholesterol to HDL cholesterol, and triglycerides were much lower, and HDL cholesterol much higher, compared to the first day.

It is impressive that changes happened in such a short space of time.

A meta analysis of studies conducted by University of Virginia Health Systems, identified 70 worldwide studies of yoga, cardiovascular disease and insulin resistance. This analysis shows how much yoga can reduce diabetes risk, which in turn lowers heart disease risk. 

Conclusion
Much of the research on yoga in terms of heart disease prevention has been short to medium term. However, favourable blood test results, showing lower cholesterol, triglycerides, etc, suggest it is highly likely that there are benefits over a lifetime. There are specific yoga poses, for example, sun salutation, which are sufficiently intense. Then there are many other poses which relax the body. Yoga can be one part of an all round healthy lifestyle. When a person practises yoga and also does everything else right, there is a synergistic effect in terms of heart disease prevention.

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