Practicing yoga is good for heart health
People who regularly exercise yoga are subject to strong parasympathetic control, which means that they can control heart rate well, so they are also good for the heart.
Heart rate variability is a sign of heart health. A study published in the International Journal of Medical Engineering and Information found that people who practice yoga have a faster heart rate than people who don't practice yoga.
The autonomic nervous system regulates heart rate through two channels: sympathetic and parasympathetic. The former causes the heart rate to increase, while the latter slows the heart rate. Good coordination between the two ensures a stable heart rate and is always responsive to changes caused by diet, fighting, flying or excitement.
The changes that are occurring in heart rate are called heart rate variability (HRV), or changes in the beating of the heart. Healthy people have high HRV, while people with abnormal heart diseases have low HRV.
Researchers at the Ruerji Institute of Technology in India evaluated two groups of men to see if yoga improved heart health. Research evidence suggests that yoga improves health through breathing training, stretching, posture, relaxation and meditation.
They analyzed the ECG HRV of 42 healthy men who did not practice yoga and 42 people who practiced yoga, all aged 18 to 48.
Analyzing HRV is an important tool for exploring heart health and heart rate regulation mechanisms. Short-term HRV change capabilities represent how the heart responds to changes in the body under the control of sympathetic and parasympathetic nerves.
The researchers explained that changes in very low frequencies are related to changes in the body's intrinsic temperature. Low-frequency peaks are associated with sympathetic control, and high-frequency peaks are associated with parasympathetic control.
A preliminary study of 84 volunteers found that people who regularly exercise yoga were subject to strong parasympathetic control, indicating that they could control their heart rate well and therefore had healthy hearts. (Internship Editor: Wu Jinyu)