Your health: Hearty yoga
Go yoga!
Research into the connection between yoga and cardiovascular disease is still in its scientific infancy. Several dozen studies have explored the possible benefits of yoga for people with heart disease, but these trials are mostly small or lack the scientific rigor needed to show cause and effect. According to Harvard Medical School, this body of work suggests that yoga may:
Ÿ Reduce high blood pressure
Ÿ Improve symptoms of heart failure
Ÿ Ease palpitations
Ÿ Enhance cardiac rehabilitation
Ÿ Lower cardiovascular risk factors such as cholesterol levels, blood sugar and stress hormones
Ÿ Improve balance, reduce falls, ease arthritis and improve breathing for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Several randomized controlled trials under way should help pin down what yoga can — and can't — do for people with cardiovascular disease. Even if all of the trials provide unequivocal support for yoga, keep in mind that it won't offer magical protection against heart disease or a cure for it. Instead, yoga could be a useful method for coping with the disease.
Trying yoga
Beginning yoga can be a challenge. Attending a general yoga class populated by fit 30-somethings who expect a good workout can be a disheartening introduction.
If you are a few gray hairs beyond 30, Harvard Medical School says to look for a yoga class that includes the full package — poses, breathing and meditation — rather than one that offers just exercise with a yoga bent to it.
People with heart disease often have other health concerns, like arthritis or osteoporosis, that limit their flexibility. A good yoga instructor creates a safe environment for his or her students and helps them modify poses to meet their abilities and limitations.
A skater's workout
Olympic gold medalist skater Kristi Yamaguchi may be the big name selling her new exercise video, but the workout really belongs to trainer Erin O'Brien, according to The Washington Post.
O'Brien gives all of the commands, explanations and encouragement while Yamaguchi skillfully follows along.
The DVD is split into three 10-minute circuit workouts that combine cardio and strength moves.
The circuits feature exercises such as the grapevine step, overhead triceps press and yoga's plank position.
At-home massage
Massage balls aren't new, but they are an alternative to the increasingly popular foam rollers, The Washington Post says.
A set of 10 or 12, ranging in size from golf ball to bowling ball, allows for a thorough self-massage, especially in hard-to-reach places where rollers are ineffective, says Maggie Wong, who teaches their use at Yoga Plus in Bethesda, Md.
“Many people would like to have a massage daily, but it is both expensive and time-consuming,” she says. “The balls are a healthy, affordable alternative.”