Yoga Poses To Aid Cardiovascular Health

With the constant “go-go-go” attitude people are accustomed to these days, it’s tough to take a moment or two to relax and catch your breath. Luckily, these five yoga poses will help you destress, stretch, exercise and most importantly, strengthen your heart.

Grab your yoga mat, put on some relaxing music to help set the mood and spend time practicing these poses.

Mountain pose

Stand straight on the ground or floor, with the heels touching each other and feet slightly apart. Keep the soles grounded and your hands straight above your head on both sides of your ears. Look in the forward direction and hold this position for five minutes. Take a minute break and repeat three to four times.

Benefits: Being one of the easiest yoga postures, this is extremely helpful in upsurging breathing, relieving tension and enhancing blood circulation. It also helps in strengthening the vertebral column and the heart. Practicing this pose normalizes blood pressure levels and increases overall energy and stamina.

Tree pose

Stand straight on the ground or floor. Bring both your arms in front of the chest and join the palms in a prayer position. Now keeping the palms joined, stretch both your arms upwards. Bend your right knee and place the sole of your right foot on the interior side of the left thigh. Keep your left leg straight and hold the position as long as you can. Relax for a minute and do it on the other side with the left foot. Repeat five times.

Benefits: Not only does the tree pose improve the spinal column and enhance both balance and poise, it also expands the shoulders and opens the heart; making one feel confident and happy. Practicing this regularly improves blood circulation and keeps heart ailments at bay.

Cobra pose

Lie flat on your stomach and place your forehead on the ground. Keep both your hands on either side of your shoulders. Slowly, put pressure on your palms and lift your body up from the torso while stretching your back and belly muscles. Straighten out your arms and keep your shoulder blades pressed against your back. Fix gaze at a point on the ceiling and hold this posture for about 15 to 30 seconds and exhale as you return to the starting position.

Benefits: The cobra pose not only helps in getting rid of belly fat but also stretches the chest cavity and invigorates the heart muscles.

Warrior pose

Stand straight on the ground looking in the forward direction. Move your feet about 4 inches apart in the forward direction. Turn your left foot out by 90 degrees and right foot in by about 15 degrees. Lift both the arms sideways till it levels with the shoulders. While breathing out, bend your left knee. Slowly turn your head and look to the left. Keep breathing and stretch your hands further apart. Gently push your pelvis down and hold the posture and repeat with the other side with the right foot forward. Do it three to four times keeping a minute in between for relaxation.

Benefits: The warrior pose improves balance in the body and increases stamina. It also relieves stress and enhances overall blood circulation. By keeping the heart rate at a check, it reduces the risks of arrhythmic conditions.

Sitting half spinal twist

Sit straight with your legs stretched out and feet together. Bend your right leg and place the heel of your right foot beside your left hip. Move your left leg over your right knee. Place your right hand on your left foot and your left hand behind you. Twist the waist, shoulders and neck to the left and look over the right-side shoulder. Hold the position and continue breathing in and out gently. Slowly come back to the original starting position and repeat in the same manner on the other side.

Benefits: The twisting of the upper side of the body works on the whole spine and opens the sides of the chest when performed on the left and right sides. It also stimulates the heart muscles, removes stiffness from the vertebral column and normalizes the pulse rate. Practicing it regularly prevents cholesterol buildup in the blood and reduces the risk of heart attacks and heart blocks.