The Extraordinary Benefits of Yoga for AFib
Atrial fibrillation (AFib) is a frightening condition, but huge gains have been made in treatment over the past few decades. Today, there are plenty of medications designed to bring your heart rhythm back down to a healthy level, and many people live perfectly comfortable lives after a single catheter ablation or once they find the right drug for their body.
However, AFib recurrence continues to be a big problem, and without some smart lifestyle changes, it can be difficult to overcome the discomfort. Fortunately, complementary therapies have also made a big impact in AFib management, and yoga is at the head of the pack.
What Yoga Can Do for Your Heart
Yoga may seem like a simple exercise routine, but it’s more complex than that. An ancient practice that has been used to rejuvenate, heal, and energize the body, yoga is no longer a health trend — it’s a proven cardiovascular therapy.
One recent study published in the Journal of Thoracic Disease that followed 52 AFib patients found that a regular yoga practice brought a significant decrease in symptomatic and non-symptomatic AFib episodes, as well as a reduction in blood pressure and heart rate. Ultimately, patients felt less anxious, less depressed, and less symptomatic than they had before starting the yoga program.
What is it about yoga that works so well for AFib patients? As it turns out, there are a few key physiological improvements that come with a regular yoga practice.
Body Rhythm Connections
The human body has different rhythms (like brain waves, heartbeat, and breath), and though it’s natural to think of them as separate, they are actually interconnected. If you’ve ever noticed how a deep breath can calm you down, you’ll realize certain actions can impact other physiological reactions.
And while you may not be able to think your heart rate back down to normal, you may be able to breathe it into a healthier zone.
In yoga, breath is just as important as movement, and you can augment your breath to slow down (or fire up) your metabolism. Rather than trying to push yourself through a powerful routine, concentrate on meditative yoga practices that allow you space and energy to focus on even, controlled breathing.
You’ll notice right away that how you choose to breathe will affect your heartbeat, and that is an empowering discovery.
Yoga Relieves Stress
You’ve likely heard it before, but it deserves to be said again: yoga is an incredible stress relief.
Of course, there are different types of yoga, and each can bring different results, but a hatha, yin, or gentle vinyasa practice is your gateway to calmer thoughts, less anxiety, and even moods — and all of these reduce your chances of experiencing another AFib episode.
When you learn to focus your mind and clear away distractions, you will find your worries fade into the distance. Yoga has been shown to decrease sympathetic nervous system activity, which lowers your resting heart rate.
It has also been shown to decrease oxidative stress and inflammation, an important step toward healthier cardiovascular function.
Breathing Techniques Help Anytime, Anywhere
Since so many things can trigger an AFib episode, it’s important to keep a number of tools at your fingertips to stifle problems before they start. Breathing exercises certainly help you move through your exercise routine more fluidly, but they can have an enormous impact on life off the yoga mat, too.
