World Heart Day coming soon: Strike yoga poses for healthy cardiac functions

The essence of World Heart Day is to create awareness on how the heart health can be maintained. From eating right to exercising, your heart always needs some extra care. Exercising is the most important key to stay healthy and it goes without saying, how it positively impacts the heart health and prevent cardiac diseases. While most workouts are good for your cardiac muscles, yoga has a special place when it comes to keeping your heart safe. Yoga has established itself as one of the most important ways to reduce heart ailments and potential risks over the years. There are scientific studies as well backing this theory.

According to a research led by Professor Myriam Hunink of Erasmus University Medical Center in Rotterdam and Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, 'a review of 37 randomized studies involving 2,768 participants which found that yoga is linked to the reduction of key risk factors for heart disease, including lower body mass index (BMI), weight loss, improved cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure, and reduced heart rate. Researchers also found that when it came to these improved risk factors, there was not a significant difference between yoga and other forms of exercise.' In addition to this research, Julie Corliss, Executive Editor, Harvard Heart Letter, writes, "A review of yoga and cardiovascular disease published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology indicates that yoga may help lower heart disease risk as much as conventional exercise, such as brisk walking."

Here, it's important to note that yoga poses you are practising might not work as an immediate relief or remedy. It works on bettering health by helping you make the necessary lifestyle changes. As the World heart Day approaches, we take you through heart-friendly yoga poses and also guide you on poses that you should avoid if you have been diagnosed with a cardiac ailment.

TadasanaAlso known as Mountain pose, this yoga pose calms the mind and specially focuses on z and heart strengthening.

How to do it:– Stand with your feet paralleled and apart.– Relax your shoulders and keep the back straight. Make sure you engage your core muscles and your thighs are firm.– Without locking your knees, lift your toes. Make sure your body is in one straight line.– Do this for three to five minutes.

PadangusthasanaThis asana is called Big Toe Pose. It is said to be efficient in calming the mind and releasing the stress. It makes you feel lighter and relaxed and what's better than that for a healthy heart?z

How to do it:– Stand with feet hip-width apart with your hands on your hips.– Inhale and slowly bend forward trying to touch your toes.– Relax your neck and head. Engage your muscles and suck your belly in.– Exhale and get back to the normal position. Five to 10 repetitions of the asana are recommended.

Setu Bandha SarvangasanaAlso known as Bridge Pose, this asana helps in controlling blood pressure and improving mental health in order to relieve heart from unnecessary stress.

How to do it:– Lie on your back and bend your knees.– Bring your feet closer to your sitting bones with your feet and arms pressed to the ground.– Firm your glutes, relax your shoulder, inhale and push your pelvis up.– Hold for five seconds and repeat this yoga pose two to three times.

Anulom Vilom Pranayam

Anulom vilom is the easiest and the most effective exercise. This exercise basically works on the breathing pattern making it rhythmic and effective for improving the functioning of organs. It has proven to help in clearing heart blockage if done continuously for few months.

How to do it:– While sitting in a sukhasana, close one of your nostrils, inhale to fill your lungs.– Close the nostril you inhaled from and exhale from other.– Do this for 30 minutes.

Trikonasana

Also known as extended triangle pose, this yoga pose promotes cardiovascular health, releases build-up emotions to relax mind and body. In addition, it strengthens back, hips arms and legs. It also helps releasing stress and anxiety.

How to do it:– Stand tall with your feet apart.– Open your arms at the shoulder level, inhale and bend to one of your side.– Make sure your back is straight and look up towards the sky while holding the asana.

Ardh Matseyndra asana

This asana is called as Half Spinal Twist. This exercise helps in strengthening chest and increasing the oxygen supply to the lungs.

How to do it:– Stretch out your legs in front of you, take one leg over another while keeping your spine erect.– Keep your left hand on right knee and right hand behind the back.– Inhale and twist from your waist towards right and look over the shoulder.– Exhale and repeat this with other side as well.

If you have been diagnosed with a heart disease, discuss with your doctor regarding the exercises you do. Though yoga is only beneficial for the health, there are few poses that might put extra pressure on your weak heart.

Chakrasana or wheel pose: this backend yoga pose requires immense strength that body takes from the core muscles and uniform breathing pattern. It can put pressure on the heart pushing it to pump blood faster.

Halasana or Plough pose: In this pose you lie on your back and put legs behind your back. This makes the heart to circulate blood to lower body. As this is against gravity, it can put pressure on the heart.

Shirshasana or head stand: In this inverted position, body is held upside down balancing on head with support of arms. As legs are up in the air, heart needs to put extra efforts to pump blood to lower body.

Published : September 27, 2019 6:28 pm