yoga

Practicing Anulom vilom pranayam reduces high BP risk

Anulom vilom pranayam also called the alternate nostril breathing technique is mainly exercised for relaxation and strengthening of mind. Sparing 10 to 15 minutes for the breathing exercise helps release stress and anxiety. Practicing Anulom-Vilom cleanses blood vessels and vein and makes the three main nadis — the Idaa, Pingla and Sushumna more supple. It increases mental and physical strength thus reducing the risk of high blood pressure.

Procedure
1. Sit in a meditative position
2. Close the right nostril with the right thumb
3. Breath in from the left nostril and hold the breath for a couple of seconds
4. Open right nostril and close left nostril with middle and ring finger
5. Breath out from right nostril
6. Breathe in from right nostril, close the right nostril
7. Open left nostril and breathe out.
8. Repeat again

Benefits
1. Relieves stress, improves blood circulation and lowers blood pressure
2. Cures diseases of the muscular system
3. Beneficial in arthritis, flatulence and varicose veins, acidity and sinusitis
4. Streamlines metabolism

Source: Zee news

Healthy lifestyle changes could help combat depression

New studies have showed that healthy lifestyle choices could have positive impact in depression treatment, the effects of aging, and learning.

The experiences and choices people make throughout life actively impact the brain.

As humans live longer, these choices also affect aging and quality of life. Lifestyle changes to diet and exercise will be important to aging populations as non-drug, easy-to-follow interventions with few side effects, make ideal potential therapies.

One study shows that as few as 12 consecutive days of exercise in aging rats helps preserve and improve movement function, an effect possibly caused by changes in dopamine.

The results suggest that exercise could stave off or reverse the slowed movements that are hallmarks of age (Jennifer Arnold, abstract 334.02).

Practices like yoga or meditation that increase mind/body awareness help people learn a brain-computer interface quicker. This finding may have implications for those who need brain-computer interfaces to function, such as people with paralysis (Bin He, PhD, abstract 16.06).

Long-term exercise in aging rats improves memory function, as well as increases the number of blood vessels in the white matter of their brains – the tracts that carry information between different areas of the brain. Increased blood flow may explain why exercise can help preserve memory (Yong Tang, MD, PhD, abstract 236.09).

Regular, supervised exercise helped young adults with depression overcome their symptoms in a pilot study. The results suggest that exercise could be an important treatment for depression in adolescents (Robin Callister, PhD, abstract 13.02, see attached summary).

A low calorie diet starting in middle-age onward protected rats against the effects of aging on movement. The results suggest that dietary interventions can help preserve movement function in a manner similar to exercise

Source: ani news