A three-month pilot study of hypertensive patients published in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology by Elsevier shows that including yoga into a regular exercise training regimen improves cardiovascular health and wellness and is more effective than stretching activities.

Yoga improved 10-year cardiovascular risk by lowering systolic blood pressure and resting heart rate. Yoga is part of spiritual and exercise practices for millions of people worldwide. With yoga practice becoming a widely accepted form of exercise, the body of yoga research is growing.

It is a multifaceted lifestyle activity that can positively enhance cardiovascular health and well-being. Physical exercises such as stretching exercises and the physical components of yoga practices have several similarities, but also important differences.