A clinical study conducted on 60 hypertensive patients has shown that the yoga it can be an effective ally for those with cardiovascular problems.
Research Canadian compared two groups of volunteers and found a significant improvement in resting heart rate and blood pressure in those who did yoga instead of stretching before the others Exercises.
The project lasted for three months, and during this time, participants underwent physical routines five times a week. Daily workouts consisted of 15 minutes of yoga for group one and the same amount of stretching for group two, with an equal sequence of 30 minutes of aerobic activity for both groups.
The results confirmed that while stretching and yoga are similar, they have important differences. Evidence even supports that the latter, due to its variety and intensity, can be equal or greater in terms of cardiovascular benefits than the same aerobic exercise. However, they point out that more research is needed before yoga can be added to cardiac rehabilitation guidelines.
The data was published in the 2022 Canadian Journal of Cardiology. The article was titled “Impact of Yoga on Global Cardiovascular Risk as an Add-On to a Regular Exercise Regimen in Patients With Hypertension.” Portuguese).
Researchers Ashok Pandey, Avinash Pandey, Shekhar Pandey, Alis Bonsignore, Audrey Auclair and Paul Poirier write that the yoga group was initially stable, but showed antihypertensive progress over the control group after three months.
os yoga practitioners put more effort and had a higher heart rate, but without extreme impact. “Because it is associated with reduced risks of coronary events and mortality, yoga may be a promising alternative for patients with potential for cardiovascular disease,” the study points out.
Participants in the main group showed reductions in lipids, glucose and blood pressure, among other indexes, after the practices, suggesting that yoga may be incorporated into lifestyle as well as a strategy to prevent cardiovascular disease.
“Our results are consistent and reported a mean reduction in systolic blood pressure of 7.9 mm Hg and 4.3 mm Hg in diastolic blood pressure among participants after the yoga intervention,” say the authors. The positive effects obtained on blood pressure can be explained by the hypothesis that yoga affects the autonomic nervous system.
This makes it possible to “increase the bioavailability and blood levels of nitric oxide”, favoring vasodilation and the reduction of cortisol, the so-called “stress hormone”, closely associated with hypertension.
Louise Montesanti, a geriatrician certified in lifestyle medicine, says the study on the impact of physical activity on hypertension has so far shown modest drops in blood pressure, about 4.6 mm of mercury.
“This study [canadense] nearly double that drop. It seems like a small effect, but 20 mm of mercury in systolic blood pressure, which is maximum, and a 10 mm mercury increase in diastolic blood pressure, which is minimum, are small increases that double the risk of cardiovascular disease. This reduction brings many benefits”, analyzes Montessani.
For the geriatrician, it is not only the impact on morbidity and mortality that counts, but also the reduction in the need for drugs. “As our population ages, we increasingly face the problem of polypharmacy, which is the use of numerous medications that can cause side effects or interact with each other.”
Cardiologist Carla Tavares, exercise and sports doctor, in turn, points out that for the prevention of cardiovascular diseases, regularly combining aerobic exercises with strength and flexibility exercises is ideal.
“Yoga in particular is a modality of exercise known for its ability to improve deep breathing skills and restore calmness. So, in addition to the other benefits of exercise, it helps reduce emotional stress and its impacts on the body,” defends the cardiologist.
Coordinator of the Mater Dei Network’s Preventive Medicine and Sports Medicine Services, Tavares also says yoga is able to help increase muscle strength and endurance, which can, in the long run, impact the metabolic efficiency of the body and vascular health.
For yoga teacher Val Moreyra, instructor of the Kikos Fit app, the results confirm an improvement that students report in practice. “Channeling emotions releases muscle tension. Meditation and breathing exercises help expand lung capacity, lower blood pressure, improve psychological state, slow heart rate.”
Designer Andréa Nóbis, 62, has high blood pressure, takes medication, but doesn’t stop practicing physical conditioning and walking every day. She has been doing yoga for 12 years, twice a week, and she says the modality brings in addition flexibility as well force, a great feeling of well-being and relaxation. “Blood pressure is reduced, it is controlled, and psychological tension is also reduced. In addition, the heartbeat is regularized and the respiratory power increases considerably,” reports the practitioner.
Aline Coga, a yoga teacher and practitioner, started when she was nine years old and hasn’t stopped since. “It has made all the difference in my control and handling of mental health issues in my life. Yoga not only helps our physical body, but it also helps us control our emotions, focus better, and have self-control.”
Yoga teacher Daniela Faria, of Fit Anywhere, defines the practice as a set of postures (called asanas), which have an effect on the body and mind. «There are also breathing exercises, called pranayama, and meditation, which in the more traditional lines usually takes place at the end of the lesson, even if for a few minutes. It ends up being quite different from stretching».
Yoga modalities range from the gentler (Hatha Yoga), which focuses on flexibility, to the more dynamic and vigorous ones (such as Vinyasa, Vinyasa Flow, Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga and Iyengar). In general, there is no age or contraindication for starting the practice, except when there are known health restrictions.
“It is very important that the person reports any medical conditions to the teacher. There are some inverted postures, where the person is upside down, which are not indicated, for example, for hypertensive or glaucoma patients,” warns Farias .
