The Benefits of Yoga for a Healthy Heart

Introduction

In today’s world, heart attacks are extremely common and indeed individuals in their twenties fall a prey to it. Heart ailments can affect any individual irrespective of their age as it occurs due to idiopathic causes and unhealthy lifestyle. A healthy diet plays a pivotal role in the long-term life of an individual. In addition, yoga also contributes to the heart’s health and acts as a curative.

What Are the Main Risk Factors for Suffering From Heart Conditions?

In the case of heart conditions, they are of two forms; modifiable and non-modifiable; non-modifiable heart ailment is caused by various factors such as aging and hereditary. In these cases, the risk factors can be controlled, reduced, and managed to a certain extent. Modifiable risk factors, eating habits, stress, anxiety, and a few changes to improve the lifestyle can do much better to prevent any heart conditions.

What Are the Benefits of Yoga for a Healthy Heart?

Regular yoga practice helps to increase blood circulation, and each yoga activity affects the respiratory system, which improves the heart's condition. The benefits include:

• Reduced blood pressure.

• Improved lung capacity.

• Less harmful cholesterol level.

• Increase heart rate.

• Enhance blood circulation.

Which Yoga Postures Should Be Practiced?

Some simple and effective yoga postures help to improve heart conditions; these are-

• The Mountain Posture: It is a simple and very effective posture to start. It helps to strengthen the lower back and enhances heart condition.

• The Chair Posture: It is one of the yoga postures that cause expansion of the chest and enhance the respiratory system, improving the state of the heart.

• The Tree Posture: It is also one of the most uncomplicated and easy postures; it strengthens the shoulder muscles and helps open the heart, which improves the heart condition.

• The Standing Forward Bend Posture: It is an ideal yoga posture to improve heart conditions, requiring flexibility.

• The Big Toe Posture: It is also one of the ideal postures for a healthy heart. It is usually recommended to reduce blood pressure.

Which Are the Yoga Postures to Avoid?

Yoga is a better option to improve heart conditions, but unfortunately, not all yoga postures or asanas should be practiced by people with a heart problem. Before practicing yoga or any physical activity, consultation with a doctor is essential. There are a few yoga postures that need to be avoided as they may aggravate the condition; those are-

• Chakrasana (Wheel Posture)- Chakrasana is formed by bending backward to a semi-circular posture. As it resembles a wheel, it is known as wheel posture. This posture works well for people with diabetes and breathing disorders. But it should not be practiced by a person with a heart condition as it causes pressure on the heart to pump more blood while performing the wheel pose.

• Halasana (Plough Posture)- In this posture, the person should lie on the mat, lift the legs, move it over the head, and touch the ground. This asana stretches and relaxes the shoulder and spine. However, it should be avoided by heart patients as they are forced to pump blood against the gravitational force.

• Karnapirasana (Ear Closing Posture)- It is a posture where the person’s ears are closed on their knee. It is suitable for asthma patients, controls blood pressure, and is suitable for all ear problems, but heart patients should not practice it.

• Sarvangasana (Shoulder Stand Posture)- In this posture, the person should balance the body using their shoulders. It helps to strengthen the arms and shoulders, deals with constipation, and triggers thyroid glands. However, it is not suitable for heart patients as the heart should pump blood against the gravitational force.

• Sirshasana (Headstand Pose)- Should practice the Headstand pose with the help of an instructor. In this posture, the person balances to stand on the head. Even though it helps in relaxation and relieves headaches and vertigo, it should be avoided by heart patients as in the inverted posture; the heart should pump blood with pressure against the gravitation.

• Viparita Karani (Simple Inverted Posture)- While performing this posture, the person should lie on the mat with the legs and hips lifted with the help of the hands; this should be avoided by heart patients, as should forceful pumping to supply blood to lower body parts.

What Are the Benefits of Yoga for Heart Blockage?

Besides some of the yoga asanas that are not to be performed by heart patients, yoga plays a significant role in enhancing the heart condition by reducing blood pressure, cholesterol, and harmful glucose levels. There are a few asanas that prevent the occurrence of any heart disease; these are

• Padangusthasana (The Big-Toe Posture)- The big toe posture is one of the best yoga postures to keep the heart healthy, as it strengthens the thighs and calves by relieving tension and anxiety. In addition, it is highly recommended for reducing blood pressure.

• Sarvangasana (Shoulder Stand Posture)- Can practice modified shoulder stand posture as it helps to burn fat, reduces blood pressure, and reduces cholesterol in the body. It should be performed by lying with the back on the floor, with the arms on the sides, and slowly lifting the legs and thighs off the mat. Hold in this position for a few minutes.

• Extended Triangle Posture- Extended triangle posture helps to expand the chest and open the heart; however, this requires more concentration on breathing for better results.

• Forward Bend Posture- The forward bend is performed on an exhale by sitting on a mat, bending the head to the thighs, and holding the ankles using the hand. Hole in this posture for 30 seconds. It helps to deal with digestion and insulin resistance and helps with heart blockage.

• Bridge Posture- The bridge pose should be performed by lying on a mat with both arms placed aside. The knee should be bent, slowly raise the hip off the mat, move the chin to the chest, and clasp the hands together. This helps reduce blood pressure and deals with heart blockage.

Conclusion

Heart is one of the organs that work continuously, day and night even when we are asleep. The heart pumping blood throughout the body is an involuntary action. There are no age constraints to having a heart condition, as people in their 20s even suffer from heart disease which has become very common. A sedentary lifestyle, poor eating habits, stress, and anxiety disturb the normal functioning of the heart and increase the risk of heart disease. Yoga helps in controlling and reducing the prevalence of heart diseases. Change in diet, following a healthy lifestyle with few stretches, and breathing techniques help improve the heart condition.