What to Know About Yoga for High Blood Pressure

While approximately 45 percent of adults have high blood pressure, only a quarter of these individuals have their high blood pressure under control. Your blood pressure reading consists of your systolic blood pressure (the level of pressure your blood is putting on your artery walls when your heart beats) and diastolic blood pressure (the amount of pressure your blood puts on your artery walls between heartbeats). Practicing yoga is one alternative to reduce high blood pressure and improve your systolic and diastolic pressure.

While exercise in general assists with lowering blood pressure, practicing yoga has the benefit of reducing stress that contributes to raised diastolic and systolic pressure levels. Regular physical activity, like yoga for high blood pressure, strengthens the heart. A strong heart pumps more blood with less effort, decreasing the stress on your arteries. Less stress on your arteries means a lower blood pressure.

How Yoga Reduces Blood Pressure Levels

When you attend yoga sessions at a yoga studio, you’re improving your heart health. Some classes at yoga studios are fairly vigorous; you’ll find that your cardiovascular and overall muscular strength improve, decreasing your risk of disease and stroke.

The breathing exercises included in yoga classes help to decompress the sympathetic nervous system. Your sympathetic nervous system is responsible for your body’s involuntary response to stress. These responses can contribute to elevated blood pressure levels. Consistently high stress levels can lead to heart-related problems, like a heart attack or heart disease.

Research indicates that those who practice yogic breathing are able to lower their blood pressure by a minimum of five points. A lower blood pressure decreases your risk of heart disease and stroke.

When your blood pressure decreases, you’re putting less stress on your heart, arteries, and veins. Your circulatory system will be able to give your body the nutrients and oxygen it needs with less effort. This lowers your risk of heart failure, stroke, and other common health problems.

Many individuals who practice yoga for high blood pressure find that their yoga sessions enable them to better respond to daily stress. Yoga encourages a strong mind-body connection that can assist individuals with recognizing when they’re stressed and responding appropriately. They then have the self-regulation to defuse their emotions, rather than allowing them to build to a point that causes mental and physical distress.

Advantages of Practicing Yoga

Another advantage of practicing yoga is that you can do the moves at-home or at one of the yoga studios. This makes it a versatile addition to your fitness routine.

Many people who are new to yoga or are adjusting their routine may prefer to attend classes in-person at yoga studios. This gives them a chance to have their instructor check their form, and they can ask for recommendations for poses suited to their ailments.

For example, people with high blood pressure should avoid poses that incorporate deep backbends. Your instructor will suggest similar alternatives that are less vigorous or that don’t raise your heartbeat as rapidly.

The classes at yoga studios also enhance your overall level of fitness. You’ll notice that your strength, balance, and flexibility all increase. This makes it easier for you to keep active by participating in purposeful exercise and the activities of daily life.

Even seemingly mundane tasks, like doing chores or walking the dog, help keep your heart strong. Yoga for high blood pressure keeps your body healthy so that you can comfortably do these activities. You can also use yoga to reach other health and fitness goals. Explore yoga for weight loss if you’re interested in reducing your weight through yoga.

Though there are multiple alternatives for lowering your high blood pressure, some of these options have side effects or may interact with your other medications. Yoga has no negative side effects, and it won’t interfere with any medicine that you’re taking. You can use it in conjunction with other methods for controlling your high blood pressure or lowering your stress levels, like supplements from the East West Healing Solutions store.

Unfortunately, some individuals struggle to control their blood pressure, even when they take prescription medication. Practicing yoga for high blood pressure can help you close this gap and restore your blood pressure reading to a healthier level.

How to Get Started

You don’t have to wait for a yoga class to start realizing the benefits of yoga for high blood pressure. Instead, take control of your heart health today with these simple breathing exercises that you can do at home, in the car, or at the office.

Bellow breathing fills the lungs with air. You inhale deeply until air reaches your collar bones and then exhale. Feel the stress leave your body as you exhale.

Rapid exhalations are another great breathing exercise for stress alleviation. After your inhale, rapidly exhale 10 to 15 times to expel all the air from your lungs.

Alternate nostril breathing is effective for re-centering your emotions. Close your right nostril and breathe through the left nostril. Repeat the process, closing the left nostril as you breathe through the right nostril.

Sometimes, a little noise is excellent at lowering your stress levels (and your blood pressure). Breathe in normally; as you exhale, sing “om.”

Want more info on yoga for high blood pressure? Contact East West Healing Solutions today and join our yoga studio in palm harbor!