Better Health & Living
Stretch For Your Heart
Staying flexible may protect your most important muscle
Published in fitness •moves_we_love | 0 Comments, Talk about this article »
You already know that building a strong heart takes a lot of footwork--hoofing it on the treadmill, pedaling your bike, and high stepping in those cardio classes. But now research shows that when it comes to keeping your heart healthy, being able to touch your toes may be just as important as staying on your feet.
In a recent study, Japanese researchers asked nearly 200 women ages 18 to 82 to perform a "sit and reach" test in which they sat with their legs extended and tried to touch their toes. The researchers then checked the women for arterial stiffness, a loss of elasticity in the arteries that paves the way for high blood pressure and heart disease.
There's a strong correlation between rigid muscles and stiff arteries, especially as we age. Among the middle-aged and older women, those who had poor flexibility also had significantly stiffer arteries than their more limber peers. Other recent research has linked poor flexibility to high blood sugar and higher risk of metabolic syndrome, another risk factor for heart disease.
Although the researchers can't yet say for certain that stretching will help keep your arteries supple, they're hopeful, and they are currently planning a stretching intervention study.
Bend It Like Bikram
There are many ways to stretch, but the best bending regimen for a healthy heart may be yoga, says exercise physiologist Paula Pullen of Grady Hospital in Atlanta, who teaches yoga classes for people in cardiac rehabilitation. "It opens the chest and relieves stress, both of which are good for improving circulation and heart health," says Pullen, whose own research has found that yoga practice lowers heart disease-related inflammation.
As you move through and hold each of the following yoga poses, breathe deeply so your entire chest and abdominal area rises and falls with each inhalation and exhalation. Hold each pose for 30 to 60 seconds, or about five full breaths. You can safely perform these moves every day; aim for at least three days a week. Go only as far as you comfortably can with each stretch; if you have balance problems, practice near a wall.
Easy Pose
Sit cross-legged on the floor and extend your spine, sitting as tall as possible. Relax your shoulders. Place your hands on your knees and let your knees fall toward the floor as far as comfortably possible.
Forward Bend
Sit on the floor with your back straight, your legs extended in front of you, and your toes pointed toward the ceiling. Push your heels away from your body to lengthen your legs as much as possible. Extend your arms overhead, bend forward, and reach toward your feet, letting your chest fall toward your thighs. Relax into the pose and hold.
Extended Triangle
Stand with your feet 3.5 to 4 feet apart and extend your arms out to the sides, palms down. Turn your left foot in slightly to the right and your right foot out 90 degrees to the right. Keeping your arms extended, bend from your right hip and extend your torso directly over your right leg. Rest your right hand on the floor outside your right foot while reaching toward the ceiling with your left hand. Turn your head to look up toward your left hand. Hold, then switch sides.
Cobra
Lie facedown with your feet together, your toes pointed, and your hands on the floor just in front of your shoulders, palms down. Lift your chin and gently straighten your arms, lifting your upper body off the floor as far as comfortably possible. If you feel any strain in your back, keep your elbows bent and forearms on the floor.
Cow Face
Sit back on your heels (or stand if you prefer) with your shoulders down and back. Bend your right arm behind your back, place the back of your right hand on your back, and slide it up between your shoulder blades. Extend your left arm overhead and bend the elbow, reaching between your shoulders to touch your right hand. Clasp the fingers if possible and stretch your elbows in opposite directions. Hold, then switch sides.
Sage's Pose
Sit with your legs extended in front of you with your feet flexed and toes pointing up. Bend your right knee and place your right heel as close to your butt as possible. Turn your torso to the right and place your left arm on the outside of your right knee, placing your right hand on the floor behind you for balance. Turn your head to look over your right shoulder. Hold, then switch sides.
Downward Dog
Begin on your hands and knees with your feet hip-width apart and your toes tucked under. Place your hands shoulder-width apart on the floor. Press into your palms and straighten your legs, lifting your tailbone toward the ceiling while pulling your navel toward your spine. Gently press your torso through your arms and your heels toward the floor.
Regular contributor Selene Yeager is a health journalist and certified personal trainer who writes for many national publications, including Prevention, Good Housekeeping, and O, The Oprah Magazine.
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