Yoga and blood sugar

Somewhere between a quarter and a third of the population in any given Westernised country suffers from high blood pressure (hypertension). That is a big deal because high blood pressure increases your chances of coronary heart disease, stroke, heart failure, peripheral blood vessel disease, and kidney failure. The risk of disease increases as the level of blood pressure increases so you want to find ways to keep your blood pressure down and avoid pushing it up and according to two new studies that means doing some yoga and spending a little less time on your phone.

Statistics tell is that these days around 90 per cent of adults in developed nations have a mobile phone. In an Italian study researchers took 12 blood pressure readings at one-minute intervals from 94 patients with mild hypertension. The participants, whose average age was 53, were seated in a comfortable armchair in a doctor’s consulting room and left alone after the first blood pressure reading was taken using an automatic device. Researchers phoned the patients at least three times and found that when the patient was on the phone or receiving a call, their blood pressure reading rose from an average of 121/77 on average to 129/82.

As well as elevated blood pressure itself, fluctuations in blood pressure also increase the risks to your heart. Interestingly, the researchers found that people who normally received more than 30 calls a day appeared less likely to undergo spikes in their blood pressure when their phones rang.
The people who were more accustomed to phone use were younger, and possibly younger people are less prone to be disturbed by phone intrusions. It might also be that people who make more than thirty calls per day may feel more reassured if the mobile phone is activated since they are not running the risk of missing an opportunity.

If you feel that your phone might be pushing your pressure up however, then yoga may be the exercise for you.

In another study from the University of Pennsylvania, people were divided into three groups. One group followed a supervised “diet” aimed at weight reduction and a walking program. Another group took a yoga class in a studio two to three times per week for 24 weeks. A third group did a combination program of yoga and dietary intervention.

The results showed that after 24 weeks those who did yoga experienced a statistically significant drop in their blood pressure, greater than the diet and walking group. The yoga group experienced an average drop of three points for both systolic and diastolic blood pressure, from 133/80 to 130/77, whereas those who did not practice yoga only had a decrease from 134/83 to 132/82. Interestingly, those who followed both a special diet as well as the yoga program didn’t experience a greater drop in blood pressure compared to those who were part of the yoga group alone.

According to the researchers the reason why yoga is able to lower blood pressure so successfully is because of the relaxation and mindfulness that it promotes.

So if you are worried about your blood pressure, the next time the phone rings just go straight into “downward dog”. You might raise a few eyebrows if you do it in the street or the office, but you’ll be so centred and relaxed that you won’t care.