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RESEARCH NEWS The calming spirit of yoga
A small study in the US seems to show that the ancient art of yoga could halve the number of episodes of a potentially dangerous irregular heartbeat known as atrial fibrillation.
Atrial fibrillation is an irregular heartbeat that greatly raises the odds for clotting and stroke. Treatments tend to be either invasive surgery (to try to eliminate the abnormality at its origin) or medications that carry side effects, as well as making lifestyle changes like moderating caffeine and alcohol consumption.
In the new trial 49 patients between the ages of 25 and 70 who had atrial fibrillation participated in a supervised yoga programme, conducted 45 minutes a week, three times a week for three months. Sessions involved breathing exercises, various positions (asanas), meditation and relaxation. The participants were also given an educational DVD and encouraged to practice daily at home.
During the three months of yoga practice, participants experienced a drop in the number of episodes compared to before they started the programme. Prior
Exercise could help
curb marijuana use and cravings…
Participants in a trial at the Vanderbilt Addiction Centre in America saw a significant decrease in their cravings and daily use after just a few sessions of running on a treadmill, according to a report in Science Daily.
research had shown other heart benefits of yoga, such as lower blood pressure and cholesterol and more elastic arteries, but this is the first study looking specifically at atrial fibrillation, said the authors, from Mid-America Cardiology at the University of Kansas Hospital.
Eight women and four men took part after being chosen because they did not want treatment to help them stop smoking drugs. During the study their craving for, and use of, cannabis was cut by more than 50 percent after exercising on a treadmill for 10 30-minute sessions over a two-week period.
Childhood exercise
= stronger bones in adulthood
High impact physical activity during childhood and adolescence can lead to long-term improvements in bone mass, even after the cessation of exercise, according to research published in Osteoporosis International magazine.
The report, based on findings of researchers at the University of Wisconsin and the SUNY Upstate Medical Center, studied the effects of mechanical loading or the impact that occurs with physical activity during growth.
Although the size and shape of the skeleton is heavily influenced by genetics, skeletal health is also affected by mechanical loading; in particular weight-bearing and intense impact activities appear to reap the greatest benefits.
The team lead by Dr Tamara Scerpella at Wisconsin selected gymnastics participation as their model of mechanical loading. They discovered that when compared with non-gymnasts, ex-gymnasts had greater radius bone mass and that these skeletal benefits persisted for more than 4 years after ex-gymnasts discontinued their sport. http://1.usa.gov/gV0wmx
10 The REPS Journal 2011;21(June):10-11