Yoga is both healthy and beautiful

Yoga creates a sense of well-being, and can reverse the manifestations of metabolic syndrome (high risks of heart disease such as hypertension, obesity and high blood sugar). Two studies in India and Sweden have just revealed that.

Dr. RP Agrawal and colleagues, from SP Medical School, Bikaner, India, assessed the beneficial effects of yoga and meditation on 101 adults with manifestations of metabolic syndrome. In the study, 55 people received yoga for 3 months, the rest received normal care.

Yoga practice in Spain.(Photo: Reuters)

As a result, in the yoga group, waist circumference, blood pressure, and blood sugar were significantly reduced, and "good" HDL cholesterol levels were significantly higher in the control group.

In another study, Dr. Anette Kjellgren from the University of Karlstad, Sweden and colleagues studied the impact of yoga breathing exercises on healthy volunteers. 55 adults are trained to practice " Sudarshan Kriya ", which is a quick and slow breathing exercise. Exercises are conducted 1 hour a day, 6 days a week, and last for 6 weeks. 48 control subjects were relaxed in an armchair for 15 minutes a day.

At the end of the study period, the yoga group noted a significant reduction in anxiety, stress and depression, and was more optimistic than the control group.

Researchers who conjecture yoga have created a " relaxation response " associated with reduced nervous system activity and the sense of happiness they see may be due to an increase in antioxidants and Reduce stress hormones.

Yoga not only helps prevent disease in life, but also can be "an effective complementary therapy when these diseases arise," experts say.

T. An