Why We Love Yoga

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), cardiovascular disease causes 30% of the deaths in the UAE, being the top killer in the country. Many factors come into play here, such as, high blood pressure, obesity, a sedentary lifestyle and high cholesterol, to name a few. Prevention is always better than cure, and one great way to help improve or maintain your cardiovascular health is through the practice of yoga.
One of the biggest factors that can increase your risk of cardiovascular diseases and stroke, is obesity. This year, 60.5% of UAE residents are obese or overweight. Being overweight or obese can increase risk of heart disease in many ways. For one, it can increase LDL cholesterol and reduce HDL cholesterol levels. HDL cholesterol helps remove LDL (bad) cholesterol from the bloodstream, therefore if those levels are low, it can put your heart at risk. Being overweight can also lead to or worsen diabetes. Obese people are actually 85% more likely to get type 2 diabetes, and have increased chances of having blocked arteries.

High blood pressure can put heavy strain on the heart. Over a period of time, high blood pressure or hypertension cause the arteries to narrow due to excess fat and cholesterol that hardens and creates plaques. This blocks the blood flow to the heart depriving it of oxygen and nutrients, which can lead to a heart attack.

Yoga, like many other forms of exercise, is great for your heart. Yoga as a combination of asanas (postures), pranayama (breathing) and meditation provides a holistic approach to your health. Breathing and meditation play a key role in reducing stress and regulating blood pressure, which, as stated before can affect the heart. During pranayama, more oxygen circulates around the body, increasing lung capacity and respiratory function, reducing blood pressure. Breathing and meditation calms the sympathetic nervous system, reducing stress levels and in turn reducing blood pressure and LDL cholesterol levels. Additionally, yoga can take you out of a sedentary lifestyle in a gentle manner; newcomers can start off with gentle yoga. As they build their strength, they can move towards more intense Vinyasa or Ashtanga (power) yoga.
With yoga, you can build strength and improve your muscle tone, lose weight and get into a better lifestyle. Yoga improves your overall health and is a terrific technique to aid the organ of vital importance, improve its health, and becoming stronger.

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