Heart and lungs

New research reveals that the ancient mind-body practice of yoga may provide the same benefits for your heart as traditional types of aerobic exercise, such as biking or brisk walking.

Yoga to Prevent Cardiovascular Disease

It is widely accepted that both stress and physical inactivity are important risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD) [1].

Strategies which promote a healthy lifestyle, including exercise and stress management, have been shown to be beneficial in terms of reducing CVD risk factors [1]. Yoga has been demonstrated to reduce stress [2] and the holding of poses that is involved provides surprising robust exercise [3]and so, theoretically, yoga could be effective as a primary prevention intervention for CVD.

Yoga May Benefit Heart as Much as Aerobic Exercise

New research reveals that the ancient mind-body practice of yoga may provide the same benefits for your heart as traditional types of aerobic exercise, such as biking or brisk walking.

The similarity of yoga and exercise’s effect on cardiovascular risk factors, according to the researchers, “suggest that there could be comparable working mechanisms, with some possible physiological aerobic benefits occurring with yoga practice, and some stress-reducing, relaxation effect occurring with aer...

Yoga practice beneficial to patients with COPD:

An estimated 14.5% of Australians 40 years or over have COPD, which includes chronic bronchitis, emphysema, or both. 

Patients with COPD have trouble pushing used air out of their lungs, making it difficult to take in healthy new air. Although there is no cure for COPD, a patient's quality of life can be improved by controlling symptoms, such as shortness of breath.