How Can Yoga Help with Lifestyle Conditions?

Discover the new YOU this year with yoga for your mental and physical health. What’s more? Breath control, simple meditation and specific bodily postures can be done on the go, wherever you are – home, office, bus or train. Yoga, an age-old practise from ancient times, has scientifically proven remedies. While there are many benefits of yoga for everyone, it can significantly help people with chronic lifestyle conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, and cholesterol.

What you need to know:

• Benefits of yoga for lifestyle conditions
• Yoga for healthy people
• Yoga for blood pressure
• Yoga for cholesterol
• Yoga for diabetes

Benefits of yoga for lifestyle conditions

If you need any incentive to prioritize yoga practise this new year, take a look at the many benefits of yoga:

• Improved flexibility
• Sharpens your mind
• Detoxifies your body
• Protects your holistic health
• Stress management
• Improves mental health
• Boosts immunity
• Improves quality of life
• Promotes cardiovascular functioning
• Improves sleep

Yoga for healthy people

Even individuals with no lifestyle conditions can practise yoga to keep the possibility of chronic diseases at bay. You can try specific yoga asanas in the office or at home to stay fit and live up to your new year’s fitness resolutions.

Suryanamaskar (Sun Salutation)

• Stand straight at the edge of the mat and keep your feet together. As you inhale, raise your arms and bring your palms together in front of your chest in a prayer position.
• As you breathe in, lift your arms up and back and push your pelvis forward.
• Exhale as you bend from your waist and bring your hands down to touch the floor or your feet. Try to keep your spine straight.
• Inhale and push your right leg back as far as possible. Ensure your right knee touches the floor and you look up.
• Bring your left leg back and your body straight, like a plank.
• Exhale as you slowly bring your knees down to the floor. Take your hips slightly back and slide forward so your chin and chest rest on the floor. In short, your hands, knees, feet, chin, and chest will touch the floor in this position.
• As you inhale, slide forward and push your chest into the cobra pose. Keep your elbows bent and look up at the ceiling.
• Breathe out and lift your hips and tailbone to bring your body into an inverted ‘V’ position.
• Breathe in and bring your right leg between your hands so your left leg is outstretched with the left knee touching the floor.
• Exhale and bring your left foot forward. As you bend down from your waist, try to touch your feet or the floor.
• Roll your spine up while breathing in, stretch your arms towards the ceiling, and push your pelvis forward.
• Return to the prayer position and inhale.

Shoulder Rolls

• Sit upright with your spine straight.
• Lift your right shoulder to your ear, slowly roll it around the back, and drop it.
• Try the same with the left shoulder and keep alternating. You can perform this yoga exercise whenever you have a stiff shoulder.

Chair Twist

• Try this yoga exercise when you get tired of continuously working or sitting on a chair. Sit at the edge and turn your thighs towards the right side.
• Move your arm to the back of the chair on the opposite side and twist to the right.
• Focus on your breathing, drawing your shoulder blades down, and lengthen your spine.
• Hold this pose for a few breaths and return to the center. Repeat the same on the other side.

Yoga for blood pressure

High blood pressure can put you at risk of heart disease. Obesity, smoking, poor diet, stress, passive lifestyle, and family history can lead to hypertension and high blood pressure. However, adopting a yoga practice this new year can help you lead a healthy lifestyle.

Some yoga poses can help you lower your blood pressure levels:

Balasana (Child Pose)

• Sit on your yoga mat with your knees under you. You can keep your knees together or apart.
• Slowly bend forward by lowering your forehead to touch the floor. Exhale as you do so.
• Keep your arms alongside your body with your palms facing up or down on the mat. Extend your arms to reach the front end of the yoga mat.
• Gently press your chest on the thighs.
• Hold this yoga posture for 45 seconds to 1 minute or 4-12 breaths as you regulate your breathing.
• Uncurl your spine slowly to raise your upper body and return to the heel sitting position while inhaling.

Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose)

• Lie on your chest and flat your palms on the ground directly under your shoulders.
• Bend your elbows straight back and keep them close to your sides.
• Inhale and lift your chest off the floor. Roll your shoulders back and keep your lower ribs on the floor. Ensure your elbows continue hugging your sides. Don’t let them edge out to either side.
• Keep your neck neutral. Don’t crank it up. Your gaze should stay on the floor.
• Hold this posture for 30 seconds.
• Lower your chest slowly to come out of the pose.

Shavasana (Corpse Pose)

• Find a quiet place with enough space to lie down. 
• Lie on your back with your legs straight and arms at your sides. 
• Open your palms and face them up. 
• Close your eyes. 
• Breathe naturally. 
• Let your body feel heavy on the ground. 
• Starting with your feet, consciously release each body part, working your way up to your head. 
• Relax your face, including your jaw. 
• Focus on your breathing and try to clear your mind. 
• Hold the pose for at least five minutes. 
• Slowly roll onto your side and sit up. 
• Open your eyes when you feel ready.

Yoga for cholesterol

Factors including a sedentary lifestyle, excess weight, unhealthy eating habits, or stress are responsible for high cholesterol levels, which can result in a stroke or heart attack.

Some benefits of yoga also include poses that can help you maintain your cholesterol levels:

Chakrasana (Wheel Pose)

• Lie on your back and bend your knees so your feet are flat on the floor.
• Place your hands on the floor just above your shoulders with your fingers facing your shoulders.
• Press your feet firmly onto the floor. Press into your hands and lift your upper body off the mat. However, rest the crown of your head lightly on the mat.
• As you press into your feet, lift your legs, pelvis, and abdomen off the mat. This would activate your inner thighs.
• As you push more into your feet, your palms carry more weight, so your lower back is not strained.
• Let your head hang in a neutral position and ensure your neck is not strained.
• Hold this yoga asana for 5-10 breaths.
• Slowly lower your arms and legs and bring your spine back onto the mat, vertebrae by vertebrae, to come out of the posture.

Sarvangasana (Shoulder Stand):

• Lie on your back with your hands by your side.
• In one movement, lift your legs to face the ceiling and point your feet. Also, raise your hips and back so your body rests on your shoulders. Support your back with your hands.
• Move your elbows closer together, and move your hands along your back, edging towards the shoulder blades.
• Press your elbows down to the floor and your hands into the back to keep your legs and spine straight. Breathe deeply and try to stay in the posture for 30-60 seconds.
• Ensure your weight is supported on your shoulders and upper arms, not your head and neck. Also, make sure that your neck is not pressed into the floor. When you feel any strain in the neck, lower your feet and snap out of the asana.
• To come out of the posture, lower the knees to your forehead. Bring your hands to the floor, palms facing down. Slowly bring your spine down without lifting your head. Lower the legs to the floor. Relax for a minimum of 60 seconds.

Ustrasana (Camel Pose)

• Kneel on the floor or a yoga mat with your knees slightly apart and your thighs straight. 
• Place your hands on your lower back. 
• Arch your back.
• Slowly extend your hands back to hold your heels. 
• Bring your chin to your chest and your hands to your hips. 
• Inhale and exhale while pushing your hips forward. 
• Release the posture and inhale to relax in the child’s pose.

Yoga for diabetes

Apart from relaxing the body and mind, specific yoga postures may help lower blood sugar levels and help with diabetes management. Consistent practise of yoga asanas can also lower diabetes complications, including heart health.

Another benefit of yoga poses is their ability to help you maintain your diabetes levels:

Dhanurasana (Bow Pose)

• Lie down on your stomach, feet slightly apart, almost parallel to your hips. Place your arms on the side of your body.
• Fold your knees up slowly and hold your ankles with your hands.
• Inhale and lift your chest off the ground. Pull your legs up and stretch them out so you feel the stretch on your arms and thighs.
• Hold the pose for 15 seconds and take long, deep breaths.
• Slowly release your hold on the ankles and bring your chest and legs back to the ground. Relax with your hands on the side and repeat.

Viparita Karani (Legs Up The Wall)

• Fold a towel and sit on it alongside the wall.
• Lie down on your back and rest your legs against the wall, creating a 90° angle to stimulate the pancreas.
• Relax your head, neck, throat, and chin.
• Stretch your arms and keep your palms facing upwards.
• Stay in this pose for 5-10 minutes.
• Slowly slide down your legs.

Paschimottanasana (Seated Forward Bend)

• Sit up with your legs straight out in front of you.
• Keep your spine straight, and toes pointed up.
• Inhale and raise both arms above your head.
• Exhale and bend forward from the hips, moving your chin toward your toes.
• Place your hands on your legs, wherever they reach.
• Inhale, raise your arms and lift your chin and chest.
• Exhale, lower your arms and return to Dandasana, that is, on the floor with your legs straight out in front of you and your feet together.

Include yoga for lifestyle conditions in your daily exercise regimen.

Stay tuned to the Activ Living Community. Keep up to date with the latest health tips and trends through expert videos, podcasts, articles, and much more on nutrition, fitness, mindfulness, and lifestyle conditions like Asthma, Blood Pressure, Cholesterol, and Diabetes. Activ Living ke saath sahi sehat ki shuruat ABHI karo.

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