Benefits of yoga for heart

• Lower heart disease risk

It is seen that practicing yoga improves the factors that affect heart disease. The people who took yoga sessions regularly are seen with low blood pressure and level of cholesterol, and healthy heartbeat rates.

• High supply of oxygen in the blood

Performing yoga helps to increase the oxygen count in the body. While yoga, heart beats faster and demand more oxygen for supply which eventually helps to revitalize the blood cells in the body.

• Opens up the chest

Gentle stretch in the postures allows your muscle range to expand effectively. Postures including the stretch in the front open up your chest area and allow your respiratory system to function better. The sufficient amount of oxygen in the lungs allows the body to fulfill the requirements of oxygen in the cells.

• Cardiac rehabilitation

Yoga has proved to be more than a physical exercise. It works as a therapy in cardiac rehabilitation as yoga also involves deep breathing and meditation. Meditation allows the person to let their locked emotions go off and generates a body-mind-emotional balance.

7 yoga postures for heart health

Before diving into yoga, make sure you do some warm-up with beginners yoga poses. You can do sun salutation three times before starting with these poses as they need a certain amount of flexibility to start with. So let’s begin!

1. Warrior 1 Pose

How to do: Standing straight with your legs open and wide facing the same direction ( probably front ) and raise your arms and take them back, placing them down on your back leg. Open to look up with your back bent backward and eyes looking at the sky straight.

Benefits of the pose

• Strengthen your back and widely opens up your chest area
• Works on your heart chakra and improves blood circulation in the body
• Develop balance in the body and open up the pelvic region and stimulates muscles associated with the region.

2. Upward facing dog pose

How to do: an upward facing dog is just opposite to the downward-facing dog in terms of opening of the chest region. Lie on the floor and uplift your body from the front with your arms straight and perpendicular to the ground. Make sure your arms are wide open and aligned with your shoulders. Keep your head straight and look forward. You can also try to focus at some point in front of you.

Benefits of the pose

• Promote flexibility in the spine
• Open up chest region and provide space to the lungs to expand completely with each inhalation.
• Strengthen the arms

3. Bow pose

How to do: lie down on the mat with your chest facing downwards. Bend your knees and stretch your feet to bring them towards your hips. Hold your feet with your hands and lift your head and neck upwards. Push yourself upwards such that the whole body rests on your belly. Take a deep inhalation and feel your heart pumping; and then release and come back to the starting position.

Benefits of the pose

• Strengthens your back and tones your thighs
• Stretches your neck, chest, arms, legs, and back muscles.
• Opens up the heart and chest region
• Tone your abs

4. Wheel pose

How to do: lie down with your chest facing upwards and start to back your feet and uplifts your knees. Similarly, bring your hands near to the ears and lift your elbows making a structure of wheel in the body. Make sure to rest your legs on your toes and pull your body towards the sky. Inhale and expand when move into the pose, then exhale, and slowly lower down your body starting from the feet.

Benefits of the pose

• Promotes mobility of the body
• Tone the core, thighs, arms neck and back muscles
• Promotes blood flow in the head and opens the heart

5. Half camel pose

How to do: half camel pose is a variation in the camel pose, specially designed to open up the heart chakra. Start the pose by kneeling on your knees and take your hands back such that the hands hold your ankles. The hips and knees should be aligned and the calf muscles and thighs should be perpendicular to each other. Now bring your left hand to your chest such that you place the thumb in between your chest with your palm open, finger touching, and facing the right side.

Benefits of the pose

• This deep backbend literally opens up the heart and provide a deep stretch in the upper region of the body.
• Tone your thigh and neck muscles
• Removes stiffness in the shoulders

6. Bridge pose

How to do: lie on the ground with your chest facing upwards and bend the knees. Move your knees near to your hips and lift the hips upwards. Place your arms on the mat locked with each other and uplift your hip, and the upper body portion. Keep your neck on the mat and see towards the sky. Hold the posture starting from thirty seconds to one minute.

Benefits of the pose

• Promotes strength in the spine and improve flexibility
• Tone the upper thigh region
• Opens up the chest region
• Promote blood circulation in the head

7. Yoga Nidra

How to do: lie on the ground with chest facing upwards and body relaxed. Open your feet hip-distance apart and hands gently on the sides. Close your eyes and slowly inhale and exhale. Feel your body, start from your feet, and observe your body getting relaxed in each microsecond. Focus inwardly on your thighs, hip, waist, and lungs getting relaxed. Focus on your heartbeat for a while and listen to your heartbeat. Tell yourself to relax and with every inhalation take the positive life into you. With every exhalation removes the negative energy from the body. Focus on your face and head and feel them relaxing. Slowly open your eyes and turn towards your left and taking the help of your left arm get up.

Benefits of Yoga Nidra

• Relax the body and calms the mind
• Lowers the blood pressure and balance the blood flow in the body
• Let your emotional blocks released and set you free.

So, here we conclude our discussion of some beautiful yoga poses for a healthy heart. Make sure you keep your visits to your cardiologist to check your heart health. Also, it is recommended to start the poses under the guidance of a verified yoga teacher. Show some love by generating yoga awareness if you are benefited by any of the poses listed above. Also, share your experiences in the comments if you have been through any heart problem and how yoga helped you in your treatment.

Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death in the world but there are a number of ways to avoid heart disease and the complications that come with it. The biggest concern on everyone’s minds these days is heart health or how to improve heart health.

In order to keep your heart healthy, cardiologists recommend a plant-based diet as it is rich in anti-inflammatory Phyto compounds and nutrients that reduce inflammation inside the walls and protect the cells from free radical damage. To prevent heart disease, doctors advise eating 5-7 servings of fruit and vegetables every day, if eating fruits and vegetables doesn’t suit you then juicing can also impact the heart health.

To improve your cardiovascular health, including some drinks with heart-healthy benefits in your diet is beneficial.

1. Beet juice: Beet Juice is made by mixing beet and water and is one of the healthiest drinks for heart patients. Beet is a great source of antioxidant betalains that give deep red color to the vegetable and prevent heart disease risk. It helps in lowering the blood pressure and inflammation of arterial walls.

2. Cranberry juice: Cranberries are a natural source of polyphenols that help reduce the risk of cardiac disease. Cranberry juice is also rich in antioxidants anthocyanins, flavonols, and vitamins C and E which prevent the arteries to constrict and plaque to form on it.

3. Red Grapes Juice: Red Grapes juice contains resveratrol which restricts platelets to stick together. The daily dose of Red Grape juice reduces the risk of developing heart disease.

4. Pomegranate Juice: Pomegranate fruit is a bundle of nutrition. It is rich in Vitamin K that aids in heart health, blood clotting, and nerve impulses. The antioxidants present in pomegranate protects the cardiac system from tissue damage and inflammation.

5.  Orange juice: Oranges are rich in antioxidant Vitamin C that is essential for skin and immune system. Its phenolic compounds, such as cinnamic, ferulic, and chlorogenic acids fight against the free radicals and protect the body from diseases.

6. Garlic Juice: Garlic juice has the potential for cardiovascular protection. It lowers the blood pressure and total cholesterol level and thus prevents atherosclerosis. Garlic is more beneficial when it gets fermented. This fermented garlic is known as Black Garlic. It has more nutritive value than white garlic.

7. Celery Juice: Celery contains phthalides having anti-hypertensive properties that relax tissues of the artery and reduce blood pressure.

8. Apple Juice: the most common type of juice is apple juice. It is rich in antioxidants that fight against free radicals and prevent heart diseases. Apple is also a source of potassium that helps in conducting nerve impulses smoothly.

Other important factors to include in your daily life for a healthy heart are, avoid smoking, drinking, and junk food. Adopt healthy habits, do exercise regularly, and take action as early as you detect the symptom for heart disease.

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for a qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. Jugaadin.com does not claim responsibility for this information.

Atrial Fibrillation occurs when the coordination between the upper chambers of Heart (Atrium) not work in synchronization with the Lower chambers of Heart (ventricles). In Afib, the electrical signals are fast, irregular and disorganized, and the heart may not pump as efficiently.

Afib increases the risk of Stroke and Heart Attack. In Atrial Fibrillation, the atria do not adequately pump blood, blood pools and get stuck in the heart grooves. They may cause blood clots which can restrict the blood flow to the brain. In Afib, the irregular and fast Heart Beats can cause an insufficient supply of blood to the heart which can cause Heart Failure or Heart Attack.

If your atrial fibrillation is undetected or left untreated, serious and even life-threatening complications can arise. Dr. Dinesh Sehgal (Interventional Cardiologist, Sapra Multispecialty Hospital) explains the type of Atrial Fibrillation, their causes and symptoms so to prevent a worse condition to appear from.

Types of Atrial fibrillation

Paroxysmal: These are the temporary abnormal Heart rhythms that start suddenly and then the heart returns to a normal beat on its own, usually within 24 hours.

Persistent: These are the abnormal Heart rhythms that last more than a week. In this medical treatment is needed to return the heart to a normal rhythm.

Permanent: These are the irregular heart rhythm that lasts for more than a year despite medications and other treatments. Some people with permanent Atrial fibrillation do not feel any symptoms or require medications.

Causes of Atrial Fibrillation

High blood pressure, Coronary artery disease which has led to a heart attack, Coronary artery bypass surgery, Diabetes, Myocarditis or pericarditis – infection or inflammation of the heart, Hyperthyroidism – overactive thyroid, Heavy alcohol use, Unhealthy weight, and Age.

Symptoms an AFib person suffering from can experience are

Palpitations, Short Breathing, Restlessness, Dizziness, Discomfort in the upper portion of the chest, and anxiety.

The treatment for Atrial fibrillation is based on the risks, medical profile, and symptoms that a person is suffering from.

Dr. Dinesh Sehgal, Interventional cardiologist, Sapra multispeciality Hospital explain some signs and reasons that give you an alarm why you should visit the heart physician for maintaining a healthy heart:

1. High Cholesterol level: When the total value of Cholesterol (HDL and LDL) becomes high, your risk for heart disease increases. Always keep a check on cholesterol level with the guidance of your doctor.

2. High Blood Pressure: If you are suffering from high blood pressure and it constantly remains high, then you are at high risk of having heart disease.

3. If you are or were a smoker, you have an increased rate of heart disease. Cigarette smoking is injurious not only for lungs but it also damages the lining of arteries wall and causes blockages.

4. Genetics play an important role in determining the rate of Heart disease. If your parents or forefathers were having heart issues, then it is likely that you also can face Heart diseases.

5. Diabetic patients whose blood sugar level remains high are more susceptible to suffer from High BP, High Cholesterol and Obesity.

6. Preeclampsia: Preeclampsia is a condition in which an expectant mother develops high blood pressure. The condition has been linked to a fourfold increase in the risk of heart failure, making pregnancy the most dangerous time for a woman’s heart outside of the post-menopausal years.

7. Tooth and Gum Disease: Patients with swollen gums often have heart disease.

8. Last but not least, when your family doctor or Physician recommends you to see a cardiologist, you must pay attention to their words and visit the specialized physician as soon as possible.

It is termed as silent killer because people who are suffering from High blood pressure are unaware of its consequences. Many people are not able to find out that they are suffering from High Blood pressure. The symptoms are very common and everyone should know before its get too late. The common symptoms are a severe headache, Irregular heartbeat, Fatigue, eye problems, Chest pain, Difficulty in breathing. If hypertension persists for a long time, it can lead to Heart attack and Heart Stroke. So, it is advisable to always check your blood pressure on a regular basis to prevent fatal effects.

This World Hypertension Day, take a pledge to live a healthy lifestyle to prevent high blood pressure.

Disclaimer: This content includes generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for a qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. Jugaadin.com does not claim responsibility for this information.

The link between oral health and cardiac health is due to the spread of bacteria. The bacteria from mouth travel to other parts of the body through the bloodstream. When this bloodstream reaches to heart, it can cause damage and inflammation of the lining of the delicate heart.

Oral bacteria can also cause blood clots. The immune system’s response to the toxins could harm vessel walls or make blood clot more easily. 

Also, some species of bacteria that cause periodontitis have been found in the atherosclerotic plaque in arteries in the heart and elsewhere.

Oral health is not only related to cardiac health, but it is also related to overall health. That’s reason enough to do what you can to make oral health a priority. Brushing and flossing every day, and visiting your dentist at least twice a year for regular cleanings and oral exams will pay off for your oral health and just may benefit your heart as well.

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for a qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. Jugaadin.com does not claim responsibility for this information.