August 15th is National Relaxation Day, and if you are looking for something to help celebrate it, there is no better relaxation tool than yoga. With its meditative qualities and ability to get you moving and improve your health, yoga is an all-around beneficial activity for all ages, genders, and levels of physical skill. Recently, yoga has also been a subject of many scientific studies that shine a more detailed light on its various benefits.

One of them is certainly the impact of yoga and meditation on the cardiovascular functions of the body. Studies show that starting yoga might be one of the best things you can do for the health of both your body and mind. Let’s have a closer look at the benefits of yoga and meditation for your heart health.

Yoga as Stress Management

Experiencing psychological stress causes the body to produce cortisol and adrenaline, which can have an adverse effect on the arteries and blood pressure over time. Furthermore, stress is often a companion of any cardiovascular disease, even when it is treated.

Doing yoga can help manage this stress by providing a physical and emotional stress-relieving outlet. Its meditative aspect can help relieve any lingering worries, while the movement will work your muscles and ease the tension caused by stress.

Yoga as a Teacher of Mindfulness

Yoga and meditation can also help teach mindfulness. Being mindful has plenty of benefits for your cardiovascular health, and most of them are caused by increased self-awareness that mindfulness provides.

In other words, by practicing yoga, you become more aware of what your body needs, and you can learn how best to accommodate those needs by making the necessary lifestyle changes. What’s more, mindfulness also has a positive effect on your blood pressure and heart rate variability.

Yoga as a Fitness Improvement Activity

Practicing yoga is a great way to improve your fitness level, no matter its current state. With so many types of yoga and so many ways to adapt the gentle stretching exercises to your physical skills, it shouldn’t be difficult to find what works for you. Many studies have shown that regular exercise is one of the main factors in reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases and preserving your heart health.

Yoga as an Overall Heart Health Booster

All of these benefits firmly position yoga as an all-around heart health booster. It works in different areas of cardiovascular health preservation: stress management, physical activity, and mindfulness. What’s more, yoga is extremely accessible and easy to start, which ensures continued practice for maximum health benefits.

Your cardiovascular health matters, and here at Premier Heart & Vascular Center, we’ve made it our priority. If you have any concerns about your cardiovascular health, our highly-skilled team of heart physicians will provide you with expert care.

Visit our website to find out more about preserving your cardiovascular health.