Yoga is not only an exercise but exercise is one part of
it. The other part relates to moral conduct, bioenergy sense
control and meditation. The exercise in Yoga are both isotonic
and isometric; hence it helps in gainig endurance as well
as in adding more lean body mass in place of fat which help
in weight reduction.
Does
losing weight really help?
20% - 25% fall in mortality rate. Blood Pressure Reduction
of 10mm of Hg. in systolic pressure. Reduction of 20 mm
of Hg. in diastolic pressure. 9% reduction in angina symptoms.
50% risk of developing diabetes is reduced. This justifies
the loosing weight does help.
How
does a yoga lifestyle help in obesity?
The Yoga based lifestyle is known to reduce craving for
energy rich food. By setting the satiety centre to a lower
level and by emotional balance there is a direct effect
on the limbic system and the hypothalamus.
Can
Yoga help for severe back ache problems?
Definitely one can take a lot of help from techniques of
asanas, kriyas and pranayamas. Small management things like
placing hot water bag on the affected area, or taking warmth
of the sun in early morning would also help.
Are
there any kind of Yoga asanas that help during Pregnancy?
A fit mother-to-be usually has a trouble-free delivery.
The fitness in this would relate to complete physical, mental
and emotional health. Yoga has much to offer in this direction.
Can
Yoga help me to control my anger?
If one can understand that anger is one letter short of
danger, one than realizes that a great deal of harm can
be caused to oneself and others. The whole philosophy and
practice of Yoga is geared to make one less egoistic and
thus less violent.
What
does exercise do to your body?
Regular exercise increases the number of capillaries (small
blood vessels), thereby improving the blood supply. It also
increases the mitochondria within the cells, which are responsible
for the release of energy. Thus, a fit person can efficiently
transfer oxygen to different parts of the body and also
release energy efficiently.
Regular exercise makes a person more efficient at work and
enables the person to work longer hours without getting
tired. Body fat gets redistributed through regular exercise.
During exercise sessions that are longer than 30 to 35 minutes,
body fat is used more than carbohydrates for deriving energy.
As muscle mass increases, the lean body weight increases
as compared to body fat. Central obesity decreases, insulin
resistance is lowered, HDL cholesterol increases, blood
pressure goes down, diabetes gets controlled and chances
of formation of blood-clots minimised.
What
is the impact of combination of walking and yoga practices
on weight management?
During the initial warm-up period of 2-3 minutes in any
exercise programme, only carbohydrate is used for energy
purpose. If exercise is continued, the fat is consumed more
than carbohydrate for deriving energy. Thus light exercise
of long duration will facilitate burning of more fat than
the carbohydrate. Conversely, the utilisation of more carbohydrate
than fat results from a programme consisting of small bouts
of heavy exercise.
Hence light exercise of longer duration is better than the
small bouts of heavy exercises for the purpose of weight
reduction. The stress hormones like cortisol help in weight
gain. By regular yoga practice, the blood level of cortisol
tends to decrease. One of the important causes of obesity
is erratic activity in the hunger and satiety centre situated
in the hypothalamus of the brain. Studies have shown that
meditative and relaxation techniques can affect the hypothalamus
to regulate the hunger and satiety centre.
Most
people lead busy lives at work and spend a major part of the
day commuting etc. This leaves little time for exercise. Is
there some way exercise can be woven into one's day-to-day
activities?
The few simple tips given below should suffice:
Choose
the stairs over the elevator whenever possible.
Park
your car towards the rear of a parking lot to increase
your walking distance to the office, mall entrance or
school.
When
taking a bus, taxi, or train, exit one stop or one block
early and walk the rest of the way.
Rather
than going to the canteen, pack a heart-healthy lunch
and use the spare time at the office to take short walks.
Take
your dog for longer walks. It will help both you and your
dog's heart!
Take
up gardening or fit-it-yourself projects that require
some amount of physical exertion.
Turn
off the TV and discover activity-based hobbies.
Earlier,
it was believed that a person who had just suffered a heart
attack should not exercise. Is that correct?
One should not venture into any strenuous activity immediately
after a heart attack, but should commence activity gradually
as per one's cardiologist's advice. There is no harm in
practising the simpler yogic techniques like Yogendra Pranayama
IV or IX, or meditation or relaxation techniques. But these
have to be done only under a yoga teacher's guidance. One
can start physical exercise only two months after a heart-attack,
and that also only after re-assessing one's cardiac status.
How
can Yoga asanas help prevent heart disease?
Yoga is a holistic approach. Yoga is the science of health,
good health is a by-product of yoga, and while they can
help no doubt, changes have to be brought about in one's
lifestyle to experience well-being and good health. To experience
good health, positive changes have to be brought about at
the very root, in our Aahar, Vihar, Achar, Vichar i.e. in
our dietary habits, in our methods of recreation, our behaviour
and our thoughts and attitudes. Disease including heart
disease is only a result of our constant abuse and neglect
of our body and mind.
Does
Yoga exercise affect stress levels also?
Involuntary functions of the body, like respiration, circulation,
digestion are controlled by the autonomic nervous system and
the endocrine system. The autonomic nervous system is divided
into two:
Sympathetic
Parasympathetic.
When
the Sympathetic Nervous System is stimulated, a person's fight
response to stress increases. For example, the heart rate,
respiratory rate, muscle tone increases. This can happen in
the course of our day-to-day living if we are subjected to
stress. High sympathetic tone results in, decrease in HDL
level, rise in oxidised LDL level, and increase in vascular
spasm. These changes can cause accelerated atherosclerosis,
plaque formation, and plaque rupture. In addition, it can
also increase the platelet stickiness. All of the above can
result in more incidences of clot formation. Prolonged stress
is known to cause a number of phychosomatic disease like IHD,
Hypertension, diabetes etc. The Parasympathetic Nervous System
on the other hand works against sympathetic stimulation. Normally,
both these systems work continuously and strike a balance
depending upon the stress level.
Yoga
predominantly stimulates the parasympathetic system and works
against stress.
Relaxation
exercises help to develop the witness attitude (sakshi bhava)
and help one, to distance oneself from the causes of stress.
The guiding thought behind this is: You can't drown if you
are standing outside the water.
A
spiritual approach, a relaxed approach to life leads to contentment,
concentration, confidence, love and care. The self-controlling
personality can give rise to anger, hostility, resentment,
jealousy, fear, vanity, egoism and criticism. These negative
emotions give rise to increased sympathetic tone, leading
to biochemical changes like increased secretions of catecholamines
and steroids. These hormones increase the irritability of
the myocardium and can also lower the threshold of arrhythmias.
Also
negative emotions are known to bring down the immunity level
of a person, leading to an overall deterioration of health.
In
a study (1976) on relaxation responses by Benson and Klipper
in New York it was found that good relaxation was followed
by remarkable parasympathetic predominance. This was indicated
by decrease in blood pressure, heart rate, and respiratory
rate. Also, there was reduction in oxygen consumption and
blood lactate levels. The tranquility was indicated by increase
in alpha waves in the brain. Thus Yoga practices certainly
affect stress levels.
