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Yoga For Hypertension And It's Health Benefits

Last Updated: Jan 20, 2025

Benefits of yoga for hypertension

Hypertension is one of the most commonly occurring serious health conditions. Hypertension is also known as the silent killer as it does not have any symptoms. Nearly 30 percent of Indians suffer from the problem of hypertension. There is a belief that hypertension can only be managed through medications but this notion is wrong. Yoga provides an excellent way to manage hypertension naturally. Doing yoga not only improves the overall health but it reduces the high blood pressure level as well.

There are asanas in yoga that leads to conscious and deep breathing along with synchronizing the movements of the body. This reduces the stress level in a patient which is considered as one of the primary cause of hypertension. Yoga provides a soothing experience to the nerves along with bringing down the abnormal heart rate. Obesity is also one of the major causes of hypertension. Yoga helps in reducing the fat deposited in the abdominal region which leads to weight loss and normalized blood pressure. Yoga improves the blood circulation in the body which leads to a fresh supply of oxygenated blood to the heart. Given below are some of the asanas in yoga that help on the management of hypertension

Yoga asanas for hypertension

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Downward Facing Dog Pose

Place your body weight on your hands and knees. Raise your hip keeping your knees and elbows straight. When done properly, the posture will make your body resemble the shape of ‘A’. Hold this pose for a few seconds and let your head and neck area relax.
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Standing Forward Bend Pose

Place your legs apart and place a block between the two legs. Keeping your knees straight, bend your waist and try to go down and place the top edge of your head on the block. Grab on to your ankles and make sure that the elbows are at least shoulder width apart. Even though you can your head rests on the block, ensure that most of the body weight stays on your feet. Breathe normally and hold the pose for as long as you like, for a maximum of 3 minutes.
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Posterior Stretch Pose

Sit upright and stretch your legs in front of you. Lay down a couple of blankets on top of the knee while sitting this way. Now reach toward the ankles and grab onto an ankle with each hand. Rest the head on top of the blankets while holding on to the ankles. Hold this pose for a minute or two, to get the benefits.
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Plow Pose

Use a chair for support and use a couple of blankets for this yoga posture. Keep the chair over the head and lie flat on your back. Now keep the hands flat on the ground and lift the legs as high as possible. The goal is to land your toes on the chair while keeping the upper part of the body rooted to the ground. Make sure to keep the legs active, but the rest of the body passive.

Conclusion

Apart from doing yoga, a person needs to take a healthy diet if he/she wants his/her blood pressure to become normal. A person suffering from the condition of hypertension should replace their diet with the DASH diet. DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) is essentially a diet plan which comprises of fresh vegetables, fish, poultry, legumes, nuts, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, and fruits. The food products are also rich in nutrients such as calcium, magnesium, and potassium. This diet helps in lowering the blood pressure as it contains less salt and sugar in comparison to a normal diet. People suffering from hypertension should use olive oil in the preparation of their food as this oil has greater health benefits.

People suffering from the condition of hypertension need to avoid food products like frozen pizza, fried chicken, junk food, pickles, and canned soups. Apart from the changes in the diet a person also needs to make some changes in their lifestyle, for instance, avoiding alcohol and smoking. Medicine for hypertension must be taken regularly as advised by the doctor. Yoga in conjunction with medicine and a healthy diet help a person in maintaining normalized blood pressure level.

References

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    Written ByDr. Deepa Kadam MD - AyurvedaDermatology
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    Reviewed ByDr. Bhupindera Jaswant SinghMD - Consultant PhysicianGeneral Physician
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