Yoga and Pilates Prevents and Treats Stiff Arteries

If you are a regular yogi or yogini, you know that yoga keeps your body flexible, among many other health benefits. New research published in the American Journal of Physiology "suggests stretching exercises that increase flexibility could prevent or reverse stiffening of arteries." Natural News reports:

So, because arterial stiffness often precedes cardiovascular disease, this simple, non-drug, non-invasive test could become a quick measure of a person's risk for early death from heart attack or stroke...Why is arterial flexibility related to the flexibility of the body in middle-aged and older people? The scientists say that remains unclear but one possibility is that stretching exercises like yoga and Pilates may put into motion physiological reactions that slow down age-related stiffening of the arteries. Moreover, they cited additional recent research that found middle-aged and older adults who began a regular stretching exercise program significantly improved the flexibility of the carotid arteries in their necks.

This is good news for our health, especially people who know they have a genetic predisposition for cardiovascular disease. Yoga and Pilates are simple ways people can maintain arterial health.

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