Are you a health freak who believes that jogging or walking is the best exercise? Think again. Brisk walking does help, but doing pranayam (breathing exercises as prescribed in ancient Indian texts) for 30 minutes every day is far more beneficial for your heart and lungs.
A joint study by top yoga experts of Hyderabad-based Vemana Yoga Research Institute (VYRI) and scientists of the National Institute of Nutrition, a CSIR research lab, showed that those practising pranayam reported better fitness levels. Further, the cardio-vascular and cardio-respiratory efficiency of the subjects improved substantially as compared to those doing jogging or walking.
As many as 30 people were studied as part of the project, the first study of its kind. The results were published in the latest issue of US-based Journal of Exercise Physiology.
Practitioners 'nadi shodhan', a technique in which deep breathing is done through alternative nostrils while sitting in a meditative posture, reported low fatigue as against other forms of exercises.
It was also observed that while the energy output in pranayam is very high, the energy consumption is minuscule. Exactly the opposite happens in jogging.
Similarly, the heart rate and oxygen consumption during nadi shodhan were significantly lower than during field walking and treadmill walking indicating that energy cost for pranayam is lower.
"The findings have again proved that yogic exercises are the best solution for all physiological problems in these stressful times. Not only does it improve heart and lung function and physical endurance but also significantly lowers the lactate level in blood," said M. Venkat Reddy, Director of VYRI.
He said nadi shodhan was beneficial
for those suffering from diabetes, asthma and hyper-tension.