Adults who practice yoga with breathing and relaxation exercises at least three times a week may have lower blood pressure than people who don’t.
Researchers analyzed data from 49 trials with a total of 3,517 participants who were typically middle-aged, overweight women and men who already had high blood pressure or were close to developing the condition.
These smaller trials assessed blood pressure before and after participants were randomly assigned either to doing yoga or to a control group without exercise programs, Reuters reported.
Overall, the people in the yoga groups experienced average reductions in systolic blood pressure of 5 mmHG (millimeters of mercury) more than those in the control groups, and diastolic blood pressure was reduced by 3.9 mmHG more with yoga.
The study also showed that people with high blood pressure did yoga three times a week in sessions that also included breathing and relaxation exercises, experienced average decreases of 11 mmHG in systolic blood pressure and 6 mmHG more in diastolic blood pressure.
Lead study author Yin Wu, a researcher in kinesiology at the University of Connecticut in Storrs, said: "Our results not only showed that yoga can be just as, or even more effective than aerobic exercise to reduce blood pressure; but also quantitatively showed the importance of emphasizing yoga breathing techniques and mental relaxation and meditation along with physical forms during practice."
The study authors wrote in Mayo Clinic Proceedings that "they lacked data on the intensity of yoga practices, including how long people held poses and how rapidly participants transitioned from one position to the next."
Dr. Mehrsheed Sinaki, a rehabilitation specialist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, who wasn't involved in the study, said: "In general, yoga improves balance, strength and flexibility, but trying to be extremely flexible with fragile joints can cause problems."
