Yoga poses for the heart. Yoga and heart

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A study by the California Institute of Preventive Medicine Research found: regular classes yoga can prevent the development of cardiovascular diseases. Properly selected yoga asanas can reduce blood pressure without pills, strengthen the heart muscle and normalize the pulse. Yoga helps to recover even after cardiac surgery, reduces stress.

“Complex practice qualitatively affects all structures human body, - speaks Rauf Asadov, yoga instructor, author of Organic people organic-people.com, Yoga in the Parks and I love yoga community. – But if you purposefully want to strengthen the heart, you should pay attention to yoga asanas that open the chest. It is them that we have collected in our complex.”

The poses in this complex are given in such a sequence that you can perform them, smoothly flowing from one to another. However, you can also do asanas in any order. In each of them, linger for four respiratory cycles(inhale-exhale).

To complete the complex you will need a mat.

If you have heart problems, please consult your doctor before starting to practice.

A set of yoga asanas for a healthy heart

1. Tadasana (mountain pose)

Stand on the edge of the mat so that it is behind you. Feet hip-width apart, outer edges of the feet parallel to the outer edges of the mat, emphasis on three points - heel, outer edge of the foot, base thumb. Lightly stretch the mat with your feet in different sides, to kneecaps were pointed straight ahead. Pull the tailbone inside the body, tucking the pelvis, open the chest, pulling the shoulders back and down, stretch the top of the head up.

2. Bend back

Standing in the position of the foot at the width of the pelvis, bend your knees slightly and, tucking your tailbone even more and raising your arms up and back, bend and open your chest up as much as possible. Return to tadasana.

3. Malasana (garland pose)

Stand with your feet about the width of the mat, with your toes slightly apart. Place your palms together in front of your chest and squat as you exhale. Spread your hips to the sides, place your elbows between your knees. Push your hips with your hands in different directions, while lowering your pelvis as low as possible, and stretch your crown up - stretch the line of your back. Tuck the coccyx even more inward into the body.

* If your feet don't fully rest on the mat, place a block or folded blanket under your heels.

4. Utthita Parshvakonasana (Elongated Side Angle Pose)

In Malasana, place both palms on the mat and step back with your left foot. Straighten it and turn the left foot at an angle of 45 degrees. Its outer edge should fit snugly against the rug. Bend your right leg at the knee at a right angle. Place your right palm in front of your right foot and push your right shoulder with your knee from the inside away from you, and with your knee, your shoulder counterbalances inward. The shoulder should be exactly above the palm, the right arm and right shin should be perpendicular to the floor. As you inhale, turn your body to the left and open your left arm up. Hands should form a straight line. Look up. On each exhalation, try to lower the pelvis lower, and take the left hand further back, relaxing the back muscles and opening the chest as much as possible. As you exhale, lower your left hand to the floor, step your right foot back and step your left foot towards your left palm. Repeat utthita parshvakonasana on the other side. Then step with your right foot to your right palm and sit on the mat on your buttocks, legs bent at the knees, feet on the floor.

5. Table posture

From a sitting position, take your hands behind the line of the pelvis and lower your palms to the floor, fingers pointing forward. While inhaling, pushing from the floor with your feet and palms, lift your pelvis, stomach and chest as high as possible until the body is parallel with the floor. Look at the ceiling, point the navel inside the body and tighten gluteal muscles. Coming out of the asana, lower the pelvis onto the mat, lie on your back, straighten your legs, the left hand along the body, and the right hand goes back behind the head. Roll over through your right side and lie on your stomach, prepare for the next pose.

6. Dhanurasana (bow pose)

Take a position lying on your stomach: feet wide hip joints, hands along the body. Bend your knees and grab them with outside at the ankles, pressing the big toes to each other. While tensing your gluteal muscles, inhale as you lift your legs and chest off the floor. Look ahead, do not tilt your head back. Exhale as you lower your pelvis, hips, and chest to the floor. Release your grip on your ankles and rest your head on the floor, turning it to either side. Move your pelvis from side to side, relaxing the sacro-lumbar region. To exit the asana, release your ankles and lie on your stomach, push your palms off the floor, exhale lift your body, kneel and sit on your heels.

7. Ushtrasana (camel pose)

From a sitting position on your heels, straighten up, knees lie on the floor at the width of the hip joints. Place your toes on the floor. Tightening your gluteal muscles, begin to gently bend back with an exhalation. Alternately place your palms on your heels. The hips and arms should be perpendicular to the floor. As you inhale, stretch your belly forward, opening your chest more and directing it up. Look up, neck muscles are extended. As you exhale, release the grip of your hands, straighten up and sit on your heels.

The heart will not be healthy if it is not exercised. Weakness of the heart muscle appears as a result of diseases and a sedentary lifestyle. In addition, a weak heart itself can provoke the development of pathologies, since the organs do not receive sufficient nutrition and oxygen due to poor blood supply.

How yoga can help the heart

Most often, a person who has a weak heart:

feels tired and palpitations with moderate physical exertion;
feels short of breath when walking fast and climbing stairs;
suffers from diseases of various organs and systems, and high blood pressure.

An unhappy picture. Can you help yourself? Of course, there is a special set of exercises -. You should start exercising after an examination and consultation with a doctor who will determine the cause of the weakness of the heart muscle. If it is not caused by severe pathology, the matter is fixable.

Yoga classes strengthen not only the heart, but also the muscles of the whole body. Yoga is not aimed at treating a specific disease, but at improving the body as a whole. Strengthening the heart muscle during yoga is softer and more delicate than with traditional physical education. Therefore, yoga can be recommended to those who are contraindicated in sports.

Yoga for the heart should become a way of life and become a habit if you want to improve your health. It will not take much time and effort, and you should like the result.

There are many sets of exercises (asanas) to strengthen the heart, they are selected taking into account the state of health and muscle development. At first, you should be supervised by an experienced instructor, but later you will learn to control yourself.

Yoga for the heart in diseases

Here in the selection of a set of exercises there will be limitations and priorities. For example, to lower blood pressure, there are special breathing exercises, as well as meditation to relieve internal anxiety. At overweight along with help different complexes asanas for working out certain muscle groups.

We can say that the universal complex does not exist. In diseases, asanas are selected so as to have a greater effect on a specific problem, although the whole body will feel a beneficial effect.

Yoga for prevention

Yoga classes for this purpose are aimed at preventing the development of heart disease and strengthening the cardiovascular system. Here is one exercise that yoga masters recommend doing daily.

"Birch" (Sarvangasana)

This exercise, better known as "birch", improves the functioning of the left ventricle of the heart and the blood supply to the brain, thereby affecting the entire body. Therefore, the "birch" is also called the "pose of all parts of the body."

Lie on your back and, supporting your lower back with your hands (elbows rest on the floor), lift vertically lower part body. Try to maintain the posture for 2-3 minutes.

Remember that yoga not only strengthens the body, but also spiritually tunes a person to a joyful perception of the world and allows you to learn to feel happy.

Ischemia- discrepancy between two factors: 1) the need for oxygen and 2) its delivery to the tissue.

Need tissues in oxygen depends on the initial level of metabolism: for example, the kidneys consume about 10% of all oxygen entering the body, although their weight is about 0.5% of the total body weight; the brain consumes about 25% with a weight of about 2% of the total mass. The need for oxygen also changes with a change in the functional activity of the organ: in a state of relaxation, the skeletal muscles consume a smaller amount of oxygen, and during exercise, its consumption increases; at rest, the heart contracts less frequently - which means that its need for oxygen is less; during exercise, the heart rate increases - and the demand for myocardium in oxygen increases.

Delivery oxygen in the tissue depends on a number of factors: the work of the circulatory system (how actively the heart performs its pumping function and ensures the movement of blood through the vascular system), venous return (which depends on the work of peripheral muscles and respiratory activity), blood composition (that is, the amount of hemoglobin - oxygen carrier), patency of arterial vessels (through which blood carrying oxygen enters the tissues).

Coronary angiography. Contrast image of myocardial arteries.

Normally, there is a physiological correspondence between the need and oxygen delivery, and when the need changes, the body also changes the level of delivery. If, for some reason, the delivery process suffers, and an increase in demand is not accompanied by a more active supply, intracellular oxygen deficiency (hypoxia) occurs, which leads to metabolic disorders and, ultimately, can lead to dysfunction and cell death.

The condition in which delivery does not meet tissue oxygen demand is called ischemia. Most often, ischemia is due to a decrease in blood delivery through the arterial vessels - which, in turn, is due to atherosclerosis(deposition of lipids in the vessel wall, the formation of a lipid atherosclerotic plaque and narrowing of the vascular lumen).

In some cases, under the influence of provoking factors (for example, a hypertensive crisis), the surface layer of an atherosclerotic plaque is damaged, which initiates the formation of a thrombus on its surface, followed by occlusion (blockage) of the artery. This, in turn, leads to the cessation of arterial blood supply to this tissue area, its damage and necrosis.

Tissue necrosis due to interruption of the arterial blood supply is called heart attack and can occur in any organ that has an arterial blood supply.

In an adult, the process of atherosclerosis to one degree or another occurs throughout the entire arterial bed - therefore, vasoconstriction, a decrease in arterial blood supply and ischemia can develop in any organ and in any tissue. Digestive organs, urinary system, skeletal muscles, other systems and organs can suffer from atherosclerosis and ischemia.

However, the most fatal manifestations of ischemia are in the heart and brain. Cerebral infarction and the principles of post-stroke rehabilitation are discussed in the corresponding.

Ischemic disease hearts(IHD) is a chronic disease, most often caused by atherosclerosis of the coronary arteries, leading to ischemia of the myocardium (heart muscle), in some cases complicated by thrombosis of the coronary artery, which causes necrosis of the heart muscle (myocardial infarction).

One of the chronic manifestations of IHD is angina pectoris - syndrome that occurs during exercise. During the load, the heart begins to contract more often and stronger (as it is necessary for the blood supply to the muscles and other organs), which leads to an increase in myocardial oxygen demand. In the presence of atherosclerosis and narrowing of the vessel, the level of blood flow remains the same; thus, demand increases, but delivery does not. This leads to an imbalance of demand and delivery, that is, to ischemia. Myocardial ischemia causes the development of a typical pain sensation in the region of the heart (most often behind the sternum). Pain in the region of the heart (which may also radiate to the left half chest, left shoulder, arm, lower jaw and other areas) that occurs during exercise and is associated with myocardial ischemia, and is called exertional angina.

With a stable course of angina pectoris, pain in the heart occurs at the same level physical activity and, as a rule, proceed the same way (localization, nature and intensity of pain, irradiation, duration, reaction to drugs).

Provoking factors (such as increased blood pressure) can lead to damage to the surface of an atherosclerotic plaque, which triggers the formation of a blood clot on its surface. As the thrombus increases and the coronary artery narrows, the usual manifestations of coronary artery disease may worsen: for example, angina pectoris occurs at a lower than usual level of exercise; localization changes; the duration and intensity of pain increase; drug efficacy decreases. This worsening of the clinical course is called unstable (progressive) angina pectoris and is an indication for mandatory hospitalization.

The subsequent increase in thrombus can lead to complete occlusion of the vessel, cessation of arterial blood supply to the corresponding area of the myocardium and its necrosis - myocardial infarction (MI).

Myocardial infarction is the most common cause of death in developed countries, as it can grossly disrupt the contractility of the heart muscle (in this case, the pumping function of the heart suffers), cause electrophysiological instability of the myocardium (which leads to heart rhythm disturbances of varying severity). Necrosis muscle tissue may be complicated by its rupture and hemorrhage into the pericardial cavity. The complications listed above (as well as a number of others) can irreversibly disrupt the functioning of the heart and lead to death.

myocardial ischemia. Photo from cardio.by-med.com

If a person survived after a myocardial infarction, then inflammation develops in the necrosis zone, followed by the formation of a scar (post-infarction cardiosclerosis). The scar, consisting of connective tissue, is not able to contract and therefore the overall pumping capacity of the heart is reduced. As a result, in the case of a significant zone of myocardial damage, a persistent decrease in the pumping function of the heart develops - heart failure.

Physical exercises occupy an important niche in the treatment and rehabilitation of patients with coronary artery disease. A large-scale meta-analysis of the Cochrane database showed that exercise in patients with CAD reduced overall mortality by 27%, and mortality from cardiovascular events by 31%.

However, after an acute cardiovascular event (myocardial infarction or an episode of unstable angina), most patients do not know what level of exercise they need and are indicated for; this uncertainty leads the patient to avoid any physical effort and contributes to a sedentary lifestyle.

For the application of physical exercises corresponding to the state of health of the patient, developed and applied cardiac rehabilitation programs(RCP). For this, a preliminary load test(NT) with a stepwise increase in the level of load, ECG registration and monitoring of blood pressure. This allows you to determine the optimal and safe level of load, to find out the possible ischemic threshold (the level of heart rate at which ischemia occurs, subjectively not felt by the patient). As a load during NT, a bicycle ergometer or treadmill (treadmill) is usually used.

As a result of a stress test using special methods, the heart rate level is calculated, which is safe in relation to the occurrence of ischemia and at the same time provides training therapeutic effects. In the future, during RCC, it is necessary to be able to regularly medical supervision, registration of the main parameters (ECG, blood pressure) and correction of the load level.

The optimal beneficial effect on the health of patients with coronary artery disease can only be achieved with aerobic endurance training, carried out for at least 30 minutes a day, 3-5 times a week. Also useful interval training with alternation of short episodes of high-intensity exercises (20-30 sec) followed by 2 times longer episodes of recovery. In this case, short episodes of intense exercise stimulate the adaptation of the peripheral vascular system in the muscles of the legs without the risk of overloading the central circulation. At the same time, the conclusion about the safety and effectiveness of this type of training is only preliminary and must be confirmed in randomized controlled trials.

Training within the framework of the RCC should be carried out under medical supervision and under the guidance of a rehabilitation doctor! For certain categories of patients (severe coronary artery disease, ventricular arrhythmias, heart transplantation), it is recommended to develop programs for cardiorehabilitation in a hospital setting.

As a result of a properly selected training heart rate and a cardiorehabilitation program, there is an increase in physical endurance, an increase in the ischemic threshold (that is, an increase in the level of heart rate at which ischemia occurs), a decrease in the frequency and intensity of angina attacks, and an increase in the survival period. In patients with heart failure, structured exercise programs improve quality of life (reducing dyspnea and fatigue) and reduce mortality and hospitalizations.

Hatha yoga is not an aerobic exercise option and cannot provide the full range of positive effects recorded for cardiorehabilitation programs for IHD. However, used as part of a comprehensive rehabilitation, yoga practice can bring a number of positive effects.

So, in a randomized controlled trial it was shown that yoga classes for 18 months 5 times a week for 45 minutes lead to a statistically significant decrease in heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressure in patients with IHD. Another study in 80 patients with stable coronary artery disease shows improvement in function external respiration and diffusion capacity of the lungs as a result of 3-month practice of asanas and pranayama compared with the control.

Numerous studies show a modulation of autonomic tone as a result of yoga practice and an increase in parasympathetic activity. nervous system, which is important in IHD.

The construction of the practice of hatha yoga in IHD (as well as any variant of the use of physical exercises in this disease) should be based on the results of stress tests that determine the safety of the use of physical exercises in a particular patient and the threshold values of heart rate that should not be exceeded. In addition, current ultrasound data (EchoCG) should be taken into account. It is better if the nature and intensity of the loads are determined by a cardiologist-rehabilitologist, taking into account all the data.

If we formulate general principles practice of yoga in IHD, then first of all we should mention the techniques that should be limited or excluded:

1) Sympathotonic techniques: kapalabhati, bhastrika, surya-bhedana, active dynamic vinyasas, warm-up techniques with active shortened exhalation. An increase in the tone of the sympathetic system contributes to an increase in heart rate and the strength of myocardial contractions, which, in turn, increases myocardial oxygen demand and contributes to ischemia. One of the directions of pharmacological treatment of coronary artery disease is the appointment of beta-blockers - drugs that selectively block the adrenal receptors of the heart and thereby reduce sensitivity to sympathetic influences. Therefore, it is advisable to limit the use of techniques that enhance sympathetic influences - either by removing them from the training program altogether, or by using them in combination with parasympathetic compensations. Separate studies show that the use of kapalabhati for 10 minutes twice a day for two weeks by patients with stable coronary artery disease in combination with the practice of anuloma-viloma (alternate breathing) in the same volume did not lead to any negative results; at the same time, a statistically significant improvement in the functions of external respiration was noted. It can be assumed that the slow type of breathing (anuloma-viloma) played the role of a compensating, parasympathetic technique in relation to the sympathotonic technique (kapalabhati). It is possible that the use of kapalbhati in patients with a stable course of coronary artery disease receiving standard pharmacotherapy does not lead to undesirable effects even when used alone - however, controlled studies are required to clarify this issue; before that, the above precautions should be followed, excluding sympathotonic techniques or using them with sufficient parasympathetic compensations.

2) Inverted asanas. There are no studies on the effect of inverted body positions on the course of IHD, however, it can be assumed that prolonged fixation in an inverted body position, increasing pressure in the heart cavities, will enhance the contractile function of the heart (according to the Frank-Starling law*) and increase myocardial oxygen demand. In addition, inverted positions in organic pathology of the heart in general can have a negative impact on intracardiac hemodynamics, so the issue of using inverted asanas is best resolved with the involvement of a cardiologist.

3) Long-term static fixations involving significant groups skeletal muscle(parshvakonasana, virabhadrasana 1 and 2, chaturanga-dandasana, etc.). Static muscle contraction increases the total peripheral vascular resistance and thereby increases the load on the left ventricle of the heart, increasing myocardial oxygen demand.

In general, with IHD, the safest practice mode is with a predominance of parasympathetic elements: the practice of asanas without prolonged fixations in a relaxation mode, intermediate short shavasanas, ujjayi in the proportion of visama-vritti (1: 2), uddiyana-bandha, brahmari, nadi-shodhana (anuloma- viloma), brahmari, shavasana and yoga nidra.

At the same time, a more active mode of practice is possible, but to build it, you need to enlist the results load test with the determination of the threshold heart rate. During exercise, heart rate should be monitored (by periodically counting the pulse or using sports equipment for monitoring), not exceeding the heart rate that is defined as safe during exercise tests.

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* Frank-Starling Lawthe physiological law according to which the force of contraction of myocardial fibers is proportional to the initial value of their stretching; that is, with an increase in the filling of the chambers of the heart, the force of myocardial contraction also increases.

Bibliography:

1) Jolliffe JA, Rees K, Taylor RS, Thompson D, Oldridge N, Ebrahim S. Exercise-based rehabilitation for coronary heart disease. Cochrane Database Syst Rev Update. 2001; (1):CD001800 Update SoftWare

2) Joseph Niebauer “Cardiorehabilitation. Practical guide» Moscow, Logosphere, 2014

3) Wisloff U, Stiylen A, LoennechenJP, Superior cardiovascular effect of aerobic inervaltraining versusmoderate continuous traininig in heart failure patients: a randomized study. Circulation.2007:115(24):3086-3094

4) Fox KF, Nutall M, Wood DA et al. A prevention cardiac and rehabilitation program for all patients at first presentation with coronary artery disease. Heart. 2001; 85:533-538

5) Piepoli MF, Davos S, Francis DP, Coats AJ. Exercise training metaanalysis of trials in patients with chronic heart failure. BMJ. 2004; 328:189-194

6) Pal A , Srivastava N , Narain VS , Agrawal GG , Rani M . Effect of yogic intervention on the autonomic nervous system in the patients with coronary artery disease: a randomized controlled trial. East Mediterr Health J. 2013 May;19(5):452-8.

7) Asha Yadav, Savita Singh & KP Singh. Effect of yoga regimen on lung functions including diffusion capacity in coronary artery disease patients: A randomized controlled study. Int Journal of Yoga, 2015, Vol. 8, Issue 1, p. 62-67

8) Asha Yadav, Savita Singh & KP Singh. Role of pranayama breathing exercises in rehabilitation of coronary artery disease patients – a pilot study. Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge, Vol. 8 (3), June 2009

In almost any yoga class, you can hear references to the heart. We “open the heart” in backbends, raise the heart center up, direct the radiance of our heart forward, heal a broken heart, working through Anahata - the heart spell. Such poetic and esoteric language is much more common in yoga classes than physiological and medical. But in vain! 'Cause lately there's been some serious Scientific research about the positive impact of yoga practice on the cardiovascular system. Today I will talk about the findings of a fairly recent study (December 2014), the results of which were published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology. The main conclusion that yoga can protect against heart disease has already spread throughout the world press.

2,768 people took part in the study, led by Professor Myriam Hunink from Erasmus University Medical Center and Harvard School of Public Health in Boston. This scientific work also includes a review of 37 studies that found that yoga reduced major risk factors for cardiovascular disease. In particular, yoga classes reduce the body mass index, prevent the increase in cholesterol levels, lower arterial pressure and heart rate. However, there was no significant difference in the effectiveness of yoga and other forms of exercise.

Although these new data certainly add to us, yoga practitioners, arguments in favor of a favorite form physical development they raise certain questions. How exactly does yoga work for heart disease? How does it reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease? We all know that aerobic species exercises strengthen the heart and blood vessels. But yoga is usually not included in such exercises, although yoga can be very different, including aerobic. Does that mean it's better to replace your morning jog with a couple dozen Sun Salutation laps? In addition, it is not clear from this study which yoga styles have such positive effect on the health of the cardiovascular system. After all, there is a significant difference between a soft, meditative yoga class and an activity consisting entirely of energetic vinyasas. Which style of yoga is best for the heart?

“I think that stress reduction plays a huge role in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, says Dr. Carrie Demers, an integrative medicine physician known for her regular lectures on heart health. - Aerobic exercise is indeed a reliable way to make the heart stronger. And we should all do it. But the fact that people doing non-aerobic yoga normalize blood pressure and improve their lipid profile, as well as lose weight, suggests that there are other ways to prevent cardiovascular disease.”

“I think the reasons for the positive effects of yoga on the cardiovascular system come down to two things,- says K. Demers. On the one hand, exercise, on the other, stress reduction. Stress provokes the development of all risk factors for cardiovascular disease. When you live in a state of chronic stress, blood pressure inevitably rises. As cortisol levels rise, so does cholesterol levels. Develops hypertension and atherosclerosis. If we are doing breathing exercises, stretching, practicing mindful relaxation - which is what yoga means in many cases - we significantly reduce the risk of developing and developing heart disease.

In this study, which included a review of 37 others, people who practiced different styles yoga. The question of which style of yoga is better for heart health has not really been raised by the researchers. But if stress reduction is key, then the aerobic nature of exercise is no longer a priority. By the way, in 2013, Maria G. Araneta, a doctor from the University of California (San Diego), conducted a study that showed that the gentle restorative practice of yoga helps to get rid of excess weight and is one of the main risk factors for cardiovascular disease. This effect is achieved by reducing the level of cortisol, the stress hormone, in the body.

There is another aspect that is more difficult to measure than body mass index, blood pressure or cholesterol levels. For many people, the main healing factor in yoga is its emotional and spiritual benefits over other types of physical development.

“I think yoga does more than just reduce stress levels, train muscles and breathe in more oxygen, says yoga teacher Shari Friedrichsen, who often teaches seminars on yoga for heart disease. – Yoga gives us the opportunity to really start paying attention to ourselves, teaches us to recognize ourselves, to understand who we are. And I think this is the most valuable thing. In yoga, we begin to look at our heart as an integral part of the complex process of healing all of ourselves.

However, more research is required to answer questions that literally arise: why and how does yoga work for the heart and blood vessels, what type of yoga is more effective for stress and for the heart, etc., etc. Nevertheless, the conclusions from the study by K. Demers seem very promising. And what about whether instead of jogging on a treadmill, you should make more Dogs face down 🙂?

Study author K. Demers argues that regular aerobic exercise is still important: “We should not neglect aerobic exercise, because it makes the heart and blood vessels more reliable, more resistant to stress, we gain strength and endurance. But you can also turn yoga into an aerobic workout. Although most of us won't. I have a different intention when I practice yoga. I breathe just as deeply on a run or bike ride as I do on yoga, but it's my body that works first and I want it to sweat. When I do yoga, I synchronize movement with my breath, focus on stretching, opening up my body, making more space inside me, and so on. Yoga also strengthens the body, but yoga and aerobic exercise definitely have a different taste. I believe we need both to be healthy people.”

From myself I will add that in one lesson we can combine both. Warm-up, aerobic block for 30-40 minutes, stretching and "opening" the body and joints - this is the usual order that I follow in yoga classes with people with whom we do not pursue specific wellness goals. The research that this post is dedicated to confirms that this order is the right path to a healthy heart and not only.

The heart is one of the most important organs of the human body. It is pointless to argue with this, because it is the cardiac apparatus that transports blood throughout the body, providing each cell with nutrients and oxygen. Given the lifestyle of people today, we can definitely say that the heart modern man experiences enormous loads, in connection with which the resource of the organ is inexorably falling by the age of 30-40 in both women and men.

In order to prevent the development of cardiovascular ailments or to strengthen a system that already has these diseases, each person needs to take care of his heart apparatus from a young age. One of the types of such protection of the body is charging for the heart and blood vessels. In today's material, our resource will pay increased attention to it, highlighting the most best exercises for the cardiovascular system of the body.

Charging for the heart and blood vessels: when and why you need it

The heart is a muscular organ that experiences considerable stress every minute. In order to adapt the cardiac apparatus to the latter, it is important to train it, like any other muscle in the body. It should be understood that a trained heart not only works better, but is also a guarantee that diseases of the cardiovascular system will bypass a person and never bother. Also, charging for the heart and blood vessels has a positive effect on an already sick heart, as a result of which the therapy of a particular disease is somewhat faster.

It is important to note that the load on the heart apparatus should be moderate, otherwise the effect will not be positive, but only aggravating the health of the organ. Properly organized charging of the cardiovascular system helps:

reduce the amount of C-reactive protein, which is a provocateur of inflammation of body tissues
lower blood pressure and triglycerides
raise good cholesterol levels
clean the cavities of blood vessels from cholesterol plaques, which are formed due to an excess of bad cholesterol
regulate sugar and insulin in the body
reduce weight and generally improve the tone of the human body

Taken together, the properties of charging for the heart and blood vessels presented above help a person:

firstly, to minimize the risk of developing ailments of the cardiovascular system
secondly, in the presence of diseases of the heart and blood vessels, accelerate their therapy
thirdly, bring the body into tone and increase its protective properties

Considering the overall effect of cardiovascular exercise, it can be stated that it is desirable for every person who wants to protect himself from diseases of the heart and blood vessels until old age to do it. It is important to pay the greatest attention to the loads on the cardiac apparatus for people who are predisposed to the development of diseases of the cardiovascular system, or who already have them (hypotension, etc.).

Basic rules and benefits

As noted earlier, charging for the heart and blood vessels will have a positive effect only on the condition that it is performed correctly and in compliance with basic principles this procedure.

In order to comply with the latter and, in general, competently carry out exercises for the cardiovascular system, you must follow simple rules:

The main thing is to give moderate loads to the heart, which do not cause any discomfort and have a positive effect on the body. The best solution would be to carry out exercises that raise the pulse to 130-140 beats per minute, but also below 110 - you should not keep the pulse, otherwise the effect will be extremely weak.
At first, it is enough to practice for 10-30 minutes, and only after strengthening the vessels and the heart apparatus, proceed to more serious loads.
It is important to exercise systematically for the cardiovascular system, but it is not necessary to load it every day. The most successful heart training schedule includes 2-4 sessions per week, but no more. It is desirable to carry out each workout at least 1.5-2 hours after the last meal.
You can load the heart and blood vessels different types exercise, but it is advisable to give preference to cardio, aerobic exercise, yoga and breathing exercises.
If the health of the heart training worsens, it is necessary to stop and try to deal with the cause of the problem, and only after eliminating it, return to the exercises.

Proper exercise is a fundamental aspect in strengthening the heart muscle, so it is important to pay special attention to its correctness. In general, this type of training of the cardiovascular system is quite useful for the body, while you can devote it to no more than 1 hour a week, but what will be the effect ?!

Useful video: an overview of exercises for the cardiovascular system

Are there any contraindications to physical education aimed at strengthening the cardiovascular system? In fact, the answer is extremely simple - there are no contraindications to such a charge. But here it is important to take into account one point: a set of exercises and the general process of charging should be agreed with the attending physician, since only he can say whether specific loads are suitable for the patient or should be reduced. It is impossible to ignore such a consultation, since improperly organized physical education will only do harm.

Breathing exercises and yoga

Breathing exercises and yoga are the most successful option for strengthening the heart and blood vessels for those people who, due to some circumstances, cannot perform more serious exercises (running, cycling, swimming, etc.).

Both types of such loads on the cardiovascular system can be carried out at least daily, because charging will take no more than 20 minutes. The following exercises are most effective:

From breathing exercises:

First exercise. Stand up straight, feet shoulder-width apart. Take a sharp breath through the nose, at the same time raising your hands up vertically, and then - sharp exhalation through the mouth, while lowering the hands down. The exercise is done in 3 sets of 15-30 repetitions each.
Second exercise. Stand up straight, feet shoulder-width apart. Take a calm breath through the nose, while raising the left or right hand(alternately) and touching the tip of the nose with your index finger, then, lowering your hand, exhale calmly through your mouth. The exercise is done in 2-4 sets of 15-20 repetitions each.
Third exercise. It is done similarly to the first, but the hands rise up / down not vertically, but horizontally. The number of sets and repetitions is also similar to the first.

From yoga, you can use absolutely any exercises presented in the relevant reference books.

The main thing in any exercise from yoga is compliance correct breathing: before work - inhale, at work - exhale.

Of course, breathing exercises and yoga will help strengthen the cardiovascular system only for those people who are not particularly trained. For more prepared people, it is necessary to use appropriate loads, otherwise it will not work to strengthen the heart and blood vessels.

Despite the good effect of yoga and breathing exercises, to best practices strengthening the heart and blood vessels cannot be attributed to them. This is largely due to the small load that the cardiac apparatus experiences when performing relatively simple exercises. Another thing is the load of the cardiovascular system with a more serious exercise.

The best exercises to strengthen the heart and blood vessels are represented by just such techniques. More precisely, their list is as follows:

Any kind of cardio. These fully include: running, swimming, cycling, walking, exercise bike and the like.
Almost all aerobic exercises. An example of these is an ordinary exercise, consisting of squats, bends, spreading arms to the sides and other exercises of a similar nature.
Intensive power training with small weights. These include a set of exercises from simple, but moderately intense strength training(lifting weights, dumbbells, barbells, pull-ups on the horizontal bar, etc.).
Regardless of the chosen variant of classes for high-quality and maximum effective strengthening cardiovascular system, it is important to observe three main conditions:
Breathe properly. As noted earlier, before work - inhale, at work - exhale.
Drink water if your body requires it, there is nothing wrong with that.
Try to keep your heart rate within a certain range. It is easy to consider it - just use the following formula: (220 - your age) * 0.6. Thus, in order to strengthen the heart and blood vessels, a 20-year-old person needs to adhere to a pulse equal to - (220-20) * 0.6, which results in 120 beats per minute. For example, this pulse corresponds to easy run jogging, speed 4-6 km / h.
The duration of any workout should be at least 15 minutes, but as a maximum - no more than an hour. To get a real effect, it is enough to practice 2-3 times a week and, most importantly, do everything right.

Charging for hypertensive patients

It is important to understand that it is necessary to deal with hypertension and similar ailments, when the vessels predominantly suffer, in a special order. In particular, hypertensive patients are strictly forbidden to make sudden movements and, in general, heavily burden the body. In the process of charging, it is important to observe smooth movements and correct breathing. Otherwise, the exercises will not only not help, but will completely cause a new attack of increased pressure.

A typical example of charging for hypertensive patients is as follows:

First exercise. light walking for 10 minutes (you can even walk around the house).
Second exercise. Calm spreading of the arms to the side. 3-4 sets of 15-20 arm lifts are carried out.
Third exercise. Raising the legs alternately. The execution technique is extremely simple: stand up straight, spread your arms to the sides and slowly, in turn, raise your legs to a height of 30-40 cm. It is advisable to do 3 sets of 12-15 lifts.

At the end of the workout, you need to carry out a light breathing exercises, however, you should not bend over, since blood flow to the head with hypertension will not lead to anything good.

In general, it is not so difficult to strengthen the heart and blood vessels with ordinary exercises. The main thing in the process of treatment or prevention is to adhere to the correct order of charging and its basic principles. We hope that today's material has answered your questions. Health to you!