The theme of how to preserve cardiovascular and musculoskeletal health came up during my routine yearly medical check-up. One of my doctors voiced a recommendation that made my hearth sing. She told me that instead of increasing my power walks or considering weightlifting I will be better off to continue doing yoga as I do. Literally!

She referred to a growing number of research studies supporting the value of yoga for cardiovascular and musculoskeletal health. She added that the way I practice yoga obviously counts also as resistance training. These two factors make my yoga ideal especially for the 50+ population.

Yes: in Yoga con ALMA we always warm up the body thoroughly, work with biomechanically informed sequences, ALWAYS approach the muscles and tendons from the PNF therapeutic approach and the stay in the poses in a stable and relaxed manner- and not puffing, holding, pushing, grasping, forcing.

With regards to aerobic exercise, she explained further that although for many years people were pushed to run/powerwalk/cycle for 50 minutes three times a week, there is a robust amount of research showing that two to three 20-minute sessions of moderate aerobic activity per week are enough.

This led me to start my own search and found out that there's a huge body of literature suggesting the efficacy of yoga for our heart health. Just in PubMed, there are hundreds of recent studies!

I am sharing here just a few brief examples. Some scholars, such as Dr. Puja Mehta (assistant professor of cardiology at Emory University School of Medicine), have found evidence that yoga is especially valuable to reduce stress, help us to avoid inflammation and lower our chances to suffer from high blood pressure. A team of scholars has found evidence that strongly suggests that consistent and appropriate yoga practice can reduce cholesterol and help us improve our body mass index. A study demonstrated that yoga may reduce cardiovascular risk factors compared to not doing exercise at all, while other research group confirmed favorable changes in glucose levels. The positive results of yoga on bone health, as well as in cases of back and neck pain, are more than well documented also.

What can make yoga so effective, then? If we work with the mind-body as whole, we can sort-of put a break on the nervous system and reduce/moderate our bodies’ stress response. We talk about this every session!!! That is why we pair breath-movement weaving chant, meditation, exploration of Mudras and visualizations, etc. This clear understanding of the importance of our nervous system for our physiology is also one of the reasons why we never push or exhaust the body, move with subtle concentration and emphasize the development of interoceptive awareness. Properly combined and sequenced, the yogic tools we use activate the parasympathetic nervous system, also called the "rest and digest" system: our bodies can renew and heal, we become more balanced and develop resilience. Cultivating mindfulness in movement, as we do in YOGA con ALMA classes, can also motivate us to engage in other healthy habits, ethical actions and self-care behaviors.

I was so happy to see that more allopaths are acknowledging yoga as a valid complimentary technique to prevent disease, alleviate disorders, and promote healthy and functional longevity. As a well-seasoned yoga practitioner and as a teacher, I am interested in continuing to cultivate this holistic approach to health and wellness. It has supported me through thick and thin for more than three decades, and it is a sustainable, rich, comprehensive approach. Looking forward to aging well and continuing a positive engagement with life!