Yoga Improves Asthma

Researchers have found that yoga nearly halves  symptoms of asthma in just 10 weeks. The study was done at the American College of sports medicine.

The group of asthmatics in the study did to yoga classes twice a week  And were asked to do an extra 30 minutes of practice at home during the week. That’s really not so much yoga practice for such good results is it.

In fact the less is more route was a deliberate choice by the researchers as past studies had been of twice daily yoga and studied for fewer days. It was thought this was an impractical ask for most people.

None of the participants aged 20 – 65, had done yoga before. Results were based on a questionnaire that measured frequency and severity of symptoms, activities associated with breathlessness and social and psychological functioning.Overall, scores of individuals participating in the yoga arm of the trial improved an average of almost 43 percent.

Of course an important part of the improvement comes from deeper breathing, but the development of greater breath awareness is just as beneficial to asthmatics. This breath awareness from asana practice allows asthmatics to recognize early on when breathing is becoming impaired

It’s also thought that the deep breathing involved while holding yoga postures causes similar respiratory stress as in an asthma attack – as the subjects became used to this, they were better able to deal with their asthma.

Lead researcher Amy Bidwell, herself a yoga teacher said “There’s not much of a downside to yoga unless you have a major orthopedic problem,” She added "Yoga is an excellent way to relieve symptoms because there are no side-effects, unlike modern medicine such as corticosteroids"

Bidwell worked closely with a physician to design and conduct the study. He had been teaching breathing techniques to his patients. Based on the study results, he now is prescribing yoga practice as well.

This study joins a lengthening list of studies proving numerous health benefits from both yoga and meditation practice.

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