Yoga exercises may promote a healthy heart

No wonder so many people come to Washington, DC yoga classes in the pursuit of a healthy heart.

No wonder so many people come to Washington, DC yoga classes in the pursuit of a healthy heart.

In the U.S., heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). No wonder so many people come to Washington, DC yoga classes in the pursuit of a healthy heart.

But can yoga really improve your cardiovascular well-being? After all, many varieties of the holistic health system involve minimal aerobic exercise.

Be that as it may, numerous studies point to the potential health benefits of regularly engaging in yoga. These reports typically note that there is more to holistic heart health than mere aerobic activity. Being able to reduce your blood pressure, lower your heart rate or reduce your stress levels can contribute to better cardiovascular fitness.

For instance, a study published in the Journal of Cardiac Failure found that heart failure patients who used yoga therapies were better able to stabilize their bloodborne biomarkers for inflammation.

These organic molecules, including interleukin-6, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and extracellular superoxide dismutase, point to dangerous inflammation when they are in flux. The team found that participation in yoga classes seemed to bring these biomarkers closer to a state of equilibrium, as compared to traditional therapies.

Similar results appeared in a study published in the journal Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. By measuring the levels of the same inflammation-related biomarkers, researchers found that African-American heart failure patients who engaged in yoga were able to improve their cardiac well-being better than those who used a daily walking regimen.

Other scientific investigations have suggested that doing yoga can increase insulin sensitivity, regularize heartbeat for arrhythmia patients or lower blood pressure. Such effects could be of real benefit for yoga enthusiasts looking to keep their hearts healthy.

More than 631,000 Americans die of heart disease each year, the CDC estimates. This means that cardiac problems account for one in every four deaths in the U.S.

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