Yoga postures and breathing could help patients with the heart condition of Atrial fibrillation, the most common heart rhythm disorder. The symptoms of atrial fibrillation include palpitations, racing or irregular pulse, shortness of breath, tiredness, chest pain and dizziness.
“The symptoms of atrial fibrillation can be distressing. They come and go, causing many patients to feel anxious and limiting their ability to live a normal life,” said study author Dr Naresh Sen of HG SMS Hospital, Jaipur, India.
A 5 year study (2012-17) with a 16-week, 30 minutes a day yoga period, showed the patients experienced significant improvements in all areas compared to the 12-week non-yoga period. For example, during the non-yoga period, patients experienced an average of 15 symptomatic episodes of atrial fibrillation compared to eight episodes during the yoga period. Average blood pressure was 11/6 mmHg lower after yoga training.
“Our study suggests that yoga has wide-ranging physical and mental health benefits for patients with atrial fibrillation and could be added on top of usual therapies,” adds Dr Sen.