Nikhil Prasad Fact checked by:Thailand Medical News Team Sep 20, 2025 2 hours, 25 minutes ago
Medical News: Ancient Practice vs Modern Evidence
Contrary to the popular belief that yoga is a top exercise for keeping your blood vessels healthy, a fresh study finds that more structured exercise yields stronger benefits for arterial function in sedentary adults. This
Medical News report reviews recent evidence comparing yoga’s impact on vascular health with that of more dynamic forms of exercise, including high intensity interval training, Pilates, Tai Chi, and more traditional aerobic workouts.
Indian Researchers Discover That Yoga May Not Be Best for the Arteries
What the Study Did
Researchers from India and UAE conducted a systematic review, analyzing a range of studies involving sedentary adults. They used ultrasound imaging as the primary tool to measure vascular function, namely arterial flexibility, ability to expand and contract, and overall blood vessel responsiveness.
Key populations in the studies included middle aged and older adults, but also younger sedentary persons. The interventions compared pure yoga programs with other kinds of physical activity like Pilates, Tai Chi, aerobic training, and high intensity intervals. The duration, intensity, and consistency of the physical activity were major factors noted for their influence on outcomes.
Findings Yoga Helps but Not Always Enough
All exercise modalities showed some improvement in vascular health compared with doing nothing. Yoga was found to provide benefits, especially in older adults and those who remain largely sedentary. But those improvements were less consistent than with other forms of physical activity.
More vigorous exercise such as high intensity workouts, aerobic routines, Pilates, and Tai Chi led to more reliable improvements in arterial flexibility and function. Among sedentary people, these types tended to produce faster, more measurable benefits than yoga alone.
The study emphasized that intensity, regularity, and the kind of movement matter. Frequent, structured workouts produce greater gains, while yoga may help maintain baseline vascular health, particularly in those unable or unwilling to undertake intense exercise.
Why This Matters for Public Health
Sedentary lifestyles and prolonged sitting are well known hazards for cardiovascular health. Poor vascular function contributes to hypertension, cholesterol buildup, risk of clots, heart attacks, and strokes. The researchers used the metaphor of a garden hose to explain how arteries stiffen much like hoses under pressure; maintaining their flexibility is key to reducing cardiovascular risk.
Given that hundreds of millions of people practice yoga worldwide, and many of those also live with cardiovascular disease, the findings carry significant weight. The authors argue for public health strategies that do not merely promote yoga, but encourage a blend of accessible movement, exercise routines, and culturally acceptable forms of physical activity.
Recommendations from Researchers
For sedentary individuals, it is advised to combine yoga with more rigorous or dynamic exercise to maximize vascular benefit. For people with limitations due to age, mobility, or preference, yoga remains valuable, particularly because it is accessible, low risk, and culturally resonant. For health professionals and public health messaging, the focus should be on stressing that movement is medicine, and that exercise type, intensity, and consistency should be emphasized, not just the goal of relaxation or flexibility.
Conclusions
While yoga does offer important health benefits, especially for older adults, those recovering, or those who cannot engage in high intensity workouts, the current evidence shows it does not outperform more vigorous, structured forms of exercise when it comes to improving vascular function. To get the best protection for arteries, a mixed approach that includes structured, more intense activity alongside gentler yoga is likely to be most effective. This balanced strategy could help reduce cardiovascular risks associated with sedentary behaviour, stiff arteries, and poor circulation, by improving vascular flexibility, lowering blood pressure, and enhancing overall arterial responsiveness.
The study findings were published in the peer reviewed journal: Advances in Integrative Medicine.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212958825001156
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