Each yoga session consisted of 10 minutes of pranayamas (breath-control exercises), 15 minutes of dynamic warm-up exercises, 50 minutes of asanas (yoga postures), and 10 minutes of supine relaxation in savasana (corpse pose)
The subjects were evaluated before and after the 8-week training program
Isokinetic muscular strength for elbow extension, elbow flexion, and knee extension increased by 31%, 19%, and 28% (p
There have been quite a number of studies that show regular exercise improves stamina, but hardly any that evaluate the effect of yoga on stamina (perceived physical exertion)
In a research project conducted at the Defense Institute of Physiology in Delhi, India, the effect of training in Hatha yogic exercises on aerobic capacity and stamina was performed on 40 young men who were recruited in the Indian army
These soldiers, whose age ranged from 19 to 23, initially worked out to maximal exercise capacity on a bicycle ergometer
The oxygen consumption, carbon dioxide output, pulmonary ventilation, respiratory rate, heart rate etc
, at maximal exertion were immediately thereafter recorded
The subjects were then divided into two equal groups
One group practiced Hatha yogic exercises for 1 h every morning (6 days in a week) for six months
The other group underwent conventional physical exercise training during the same period common to what many soldiers are required to do
In the 7th month, tests for perceived physical exertion were repeated on both groups of subjects
The results showed that those who engaged in daily yoga practice noticed that they did not get as tired after heavy physical exertion as those who just did regular exercises
Therefore, it appears that yoga enhances stamina even better than regular exercise
This would indicate that athletes in many different fields may well improve their endurance and performance by adding yoga practices to their routine workouts
Yoga could also certainly be helpful for those who have fatigue or low energy
I personally notice that regular yoga practice enhances my stamina in terms of how long I can hike, bike, or dance
Retardation of coronary atherosclerosis with yoga lifestyle intervention
Yoga has potential for benefit for patients with coronary artery disease though objective, angiographic studies are lacking
We evaluated possible role of lifestyle modification incorporating yoga, on retardation of coronary atherosclerotic disease
In this prospective, randomized, controlled trial, 42 men with angiographically proven coronary artery disease (CAD) were randomized to control and yoga intervention group and were followed for one year
The active group was treated with a user-friendly program consisting of yoga, control of risk factors, diet control and moderate aerobic exercise
The control group was managed by conventional methods i
risk factor control and American Heart Association step I diet
At one year, the yoga groups showed significant reduction in number of anginal episodes per week, improved exercise capacity and decrease in body weight
Serum total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels also showed greater reductions as compared with control group
Revascularisation procedures (coronary angioplasty or bypass surgery) were less frequently required in the yoga group
Coronary angiography repeated at one year showed that significantly more lesions regressed (20% versus 2%) and less lesions progressed (5% versus 37%) in the yoga group
The compliance to the total program was excellent and no side effects were observed
: Yoga lifestyle intervention retards progression and increases regression of coronary atherosclerosis in patients with severe coronary artery disease