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Did you know that yoga holds several benefits for your heart health, making it one of the best forms of exercise to choose? Yoga is more popular for being a practice to improve flexibility. The essential core of mindfulness in yoga leads to stress reduction. For most people, it's also possible to combine yoga for getting physically fit and removing anxiety. That's a double bonus!!
While yoga is a wholesome exercise, some asanas or poses can specifically improve your heart health. Consider the following six yoga poses that improve the cardiac output by providing a gentle but vigorous workout. Include them as part of your practice to keep your heart ticking happily.
Effective Yoga Poses to Improve Heart Health
1. The Mountain Pose (Tadasana)
Tadasana is the most basic of all yoga asanas, yet it is also one of the most effective. Not only does this pose help you develop a strong heart, but it also develops your lower back muscles.
To do this pose:
- Stand straight with your feet together, back straight, and arms on your sides.
- Interlock your fingers and inhale, then stretch your arms up with your palms facing each other.
- Look up, then gently drop your head back and hold for 5-10 seconds.
- Repeat 1-2 times.
2. The Chair Pose (Utkatasana)
The Utkatasana is known as the chair pose, so of course it is a heart opener. It also builds strength in your thighs and calves. Therefore, it is one of the best heart-opening yoga poses that expands your chest and works on stimulating the respiratory system.
To do this pose:
- Start with the Tadasana and bend your knees and move your hips backwards as if you are sitting on a chair.
- Now raise your hands upwards and touch the ears.
- Soften the shoulders and hold this position for 5-15 deep breaths.
- Release your hands slowly and return to the original position.
3. The Tree Pose (Vrikshasana)
This pose also works on your shoulders and allows you to improve your posture. Like Tadasana, this is also one of the easiest yoga poses that anyone can do. It's also good for opening up your heart area.
To do this posture:
- Stand up straight, lift your arms over your head, and cross your left leg over the right.
- Bend your right knee and place it on the inside of your left thigh.
- Breathe steadily for a few moments as you hold this position.
- Then, release your arms and legs to go back to standing straight.
- Switch legs and repeat this exercise on the other side.
4. The Standing Forward Bend (Uttanasana)
The Uttanasana is an ideal yoga pose for heart health. It's a relaxing pose and requires flexibility too but you will perfect it by practicing it regularly which allows you to experience its calming benefits.
Here's how you do this yoga pose:
- Start with Tadasana pose.
- Breathe in deeply, and as you exhale, bend forward at the waist.
- Place your hands on the floor beside your feet, extend your torso forward and lift your tailbone.
- Hold this position for a few seconds. Then let your arms down.
5. The Downward-Facing Dog Pose (Adho Mukho Svanasana)
The Adho Muko Svanasana pose engages your shoulders and knees, and can help improve balance; sometimes it's called the downward-facing dog pose. It also helps with heart health because it allows blood to flow into your heart.
To do downward-facing dog pose:
- Begin this pose on your hands and knees, with your wrists under your shoulders and knees under your hips.
- Lift your hips off the floor and push them back toward your heels.
- Straighten your legs as much as you can while pushing your hips back, but keep them engaged.
- Press through your palms and rotate your inner elbows toward each other; feel the intercostal muscles between the ribs stretching out.
- Keep hollowing out your abs, contracting them so they don't sag or collapse inwards.
- Breathe deeply for 5 to 8 counts, then release.
6. The Seated Forward Bend (Paschimottanasana)
The Paschimottanasana is a relaxing yoga pose for improving heart health similar to the standing forward bend. You can do the seated forward bend pose as you gain in flexibility. It is also one of the best asanas to boost immunity.
Here's how you do it:
- To stretch your lower back, sit with your legs joined together.
- Put your arms by your hips, and bend forward from your waist.
- Tuck in your lower abs and try to bring your stomach to the tops of your thighs.
- When you can't go any farther, hold that position for 8-10 breaths and then release.
Takeaway
In today's fast-paced lifestyle, sedentary and stressful jobs can cause havoc to our heart health. Not only will practicing yoga help you have a better understanding of the body, but it will also make your hectic schedule easier to adapt to by bringing clarity in thought while gently de-stressing the mind and body. Adopting healthy eating habits along the way, you'll have good heart health to lead a fulfilling life.
