When you think of yoga you probably think of flexibility, relaxation and maybe meditation. However, it has been determined that yoga can be used as a system of healing. Yoga has been used for thousands of years for high blood pressure.

One in three Americans has high blood pressure. High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is usually the first step toward heart disease, the number one killer of Americans. Specific yoga poses are known to be beneficial exercises for high blood pressure.

Lower the numbers

Someone in the United States dies approximately every 33 seconds from heart disease. The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends exercise, stress management and weight management to prevent high blood pressure, thereby lowering the risk of heart disease. Yoga can help with all three recommendations.

Yoga is known to lower blood pressure, especially the diastolic score. Blood pressure is measured as two numbers, a systolic score written above a diastolic score. The systolic number is a measurement of blood pressure while the heart pumps blood. Diastolic refers to blood pressure between beats. The diastolic number is the most important. Additionally, people with high diastolic blood pressure frequently develop a high systolic blood pressure too.

Yoga benefits high blood pressure through promoting relaxation of the mind and body. Practicing yoga helps decrease the negative impacts of stress, including tension, shallow breathing and elevated heart rate. It also improves physical strength and flexibility, plus may assist with weight loss, according to Prevention magazine.

Natural News

The short days and the cold weather in the winter can wreak havoc on your fitness routine.

As the temperature outside drops, it gets more difficult to brave the elements for outdoor exercise. Wear layers, drink plenty of water and decide how cold is just too cold and winter exercise will get easier.
In the winter, you need a different game plan.

Certainly for most of us, motivation tends to wane in winter. The key is to try different activities, like zumba, yoga, kettle bells or other group exercise classes. Have a flexible approach to your fitness routine as the weather changes.

If you're keen to exercise outside in all seasons, learn to dress for winter workouts.

Wear layers. That's really important when it's cold outside and make sure you're not becoming wet. Heavy cotton soaks up sweat, so you might want to stick with wool or polyester: something water repellent.

Don't leave home without hat and gloves. Heat loss from the head alone is about 50% at the freezing mark, according to ACE's safety tips for cold weather.

Keeping hands and feet warm is crucial because in cold the body shunts blood away from the extremities to warm internal organs at the center.

Consider a scarf or face mask in temperatures below zero, to warm the air a little bit before it gets into your body.

Usually you won’t forget to layer up in the cold, but many forget to hydrate. It is just as important to stay hydrated in winter.

Here is the breakdown of the calorie burn of 30 minutes of winter activities, such as sledding (250 calories), ice skating (230 calories), shoveling snow (230 calories). These numbers can fluctuate of course. This is based on an average woman of 145 pounds. And calorie burn can change for sledding and snow shoveling depending on whether the snow is wet or fluffy.

Keep mixing it up, and trying out other ways to be physical, remember, you burn more calories when you're shivering.

Original article – Fox News