Lowering cholesterol levels in the body is one of the major health benefits of practising yoga. High cholesterol is a condition in which the body has excess fats in the blood arteries. These fats fail to get burned by the body as a result of low physical exercise mainly attributed to inactive lifestyle. Yoga can help in reduction of the LDL cholesterol because it is tailored to achieve both mental and physical (muscle) relaxation. In addition, yoga does not require special equipment or clothing and thus anyone who may have cholesterol problems, regardless of his or her body size can take up the simple yoga exercises and achieve substantial cholesterol reduction.
Lowering Your Cholesterol with Yoga
Whether at home, office or even at a yoga class (gym), yoga practising is simple and convenient for all levels of student. Yoga utilizes “asanas” exercises to assist in the relaxing and toning of muscles, “pranayama” breathing formulas to control body’s energy level and meditation, which is crucial in reducing anxiety and stress hormones and thus assist in reducing cholesterol levels. This breathing technique is responsible for calming the nervous system. Having said this, it is important to note that to achieve desired low cholesterol levels; yoga should be done routinely. In fact, when practised daily, substantial results can be felt only after eight to ten weeks!
Causes of High Cholesterol and How Yoga Can Help
Our sedentary lifestyle and consumption of processed foods, besides smoking, high blood pressure, tension amongst others contribute to high levels of cholesterols. Apart from easing tension, yoga has also been found to help one lead a healthy lifestyle. For instance, when one has reduced tension, the eating habit improves. Your body takes what it optimally needs. Some cholesterol problems are linked to genetics, but overall it is poor eating habits and lack of regular exercise. Yoga is a great low impact way to get your health back on track and your cholesterol under control.
Poses in Yoga to Reduce Your Stress and Lower Your Cholesterol
Stress reducing poses such as the “half moon” (performed during yoga practises), can greatly reduce cholesterol levels in the body by improving the digestive system, when paired with developing healthy eating habits the overall reduction will continue to increase. In a nutshell, the body retains the content that it needs while releasing the unwanted toxic waste from the body. Seated twist “ardha masyendrasana”- in which one sits in a stiff pose; twisting while inhaling and exhaling rhythmically, can greatly help in improving the digestive system and therefore increase the reduction cholesterol. However, this is yet to be scientifically proven but many yogis have testified an impressive reduction of cholesterol levels. For this to be effective, one needs to practise yoga with an almost empty stomach.
One of the other key advantages of yoga in respect to bad cholesterol reduction is that it, yoga practising, achieves this goal naturally. The associated costs of procuring drugs are eliminated. In addition, the side effects risk of using such prescribed drugs is brought down to almost zero. Yoga practising can principally help one to drop his or her sedimentary lifestyle and adopt an active and healthy lifestyle which plays a critical role in cholesterol reduction. Many yoga practising resources, instructors included, are of the view that practising yoga in the morning session before having breakfast can reduce cholesterol significantly.
