Lower Blood Pressure with Yoga

High blood pressure, called hypertension, is when the amount of pressure in a person’s arteries is high. People with high blood pressure might experience headaches, hazy vision, ringing in the ears and kidney disturbances. It can lead to heart attacks, stroke and other health problems. People with high blood pressure have to be careful with exercise that increases blood pressure.

Yoga is an exercise that helps people naturally lower blood pressure, in addition to toning muscles and increasing flexibility. Certain types of yoga are meant for relaxing the body to reduce stress. The yoga breaths an instructor can teach you help the body get to a relaxed state and decrease blood pressure.

 

Since the 1970s many researchers have studied how yoga can prevent heart disease, but a 2004 study by Yale University School of Medicine presented to the American Heart Association showed a person can improve their high blood pressure condition in just six weeks1. The yoga program included exercises, deep relaxation, breathing exercises and meditation. Thirty percent of those in the study had heart disease, and they had the biggest improvement in blood vessel function.

 

If you or a loved one has high blood pressure or heart disease, be sure to check with your doctor before starting any yoga or other exercise program. Those with heart disease must take part in exercise programs that include rest—a power yoga session may be wrong for you. Also, working out in high humidity2 can upset circulation in a person with heart disease, and your doctor may advise against Bikram yoga, a type of yoga performed in a very hot room.

 

For those with low blood pressure, yoga poses should be modified to avoid fast pose changes. Many position changes must be done slowly so a person with low blood pressure does not get dizzy or feel faint. Other yoga poses may help to increase blood pressure, so talk with your doctor about your condition to see if yoga is right for you.

MayoClinic.com yoga information

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1 Satish Sivasankaran, MD, “The Effect of a Six-Week Yoga Training and Meditation Program on Endothelial Function,” American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2004, New Orleans, Nov. 7-10, 2004.Gerald F. Fletcher, MD, Mayo Clinic Jacksonville, Fla.

2  “Exercise Tips for Those with High Blood Pressure,” WebMD, accessed August 2, 2011, http://www.webmd.com/hypertension-high-blood-pressure/guide/safe-exercise-tips?page=3

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