Atrial Fibrillation (AFib) Support Group
Atrial fibrillation (AF or afib) is an abnormal heart rhythm (cardiac arrhythmia) which involves the two small, upper heart chambers (the atria). Heart beats in a normal heart begin after electricity generated in the atria by the sinoatrial node spread through the heart and cause contraction of the heart muscle and pumping of blood.
This study showing benefit of yoga on frequency of a-fib, and its often accompanying anxiety and depression, was actually published in a very good cardiology journal. I have to imagine a discipline meditation practice would offer similar results. Unfortunately for me, change in blood pressure that accompanies the up and down transitions in yoga can sometimes throw me in to a-fib. Story here:
Atrial Fibrillation Patients Benefit from Yoga
In a first-of-its-kind study, physicians at The University of Kansas Hospital evaluated the role of yoga in the management of atrial fibrillation (AFib), a common heart rhythm disorder that is a leading cause of stroke. The study, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology , found that rigorous practice of yoga can help reduce episodes of irregular heartbeat and improve the symptoms of anxiety and depression often associated with AFib. On average, yoga was found to cut patients' episodes of AFib in half and significantly improve quality of life.
Researchers followed 49 patients with AFib who had no physical limitations. During the first 3-month control phase, participants were permitted to engage in any type of physical activity they were previously accustomed to doing. This was followed by a 3-month study phase where patients participated in a supervised yoga program consisting of breathing exercises, yoga postures, meditation, and relaxation.
Forty-five-minute yoga sessions were administered by a certified professional three times per week over the course of the study phase. Participants were also given an educational DVD and encouraged to practice the exercises at home on a daily basis depending on their comfort levels. All participants were new to the practice of yoga, and the program was designed to allow beginners to progress safely from basic movements to more advanced practice over the course of the study.
Data showed the yoga intervention significantly reduced the number of episodes of irregular heart beat among AFib patients during the study phase compared to the control phase where participants were engaging in the physical activity of their choice. Yoga also reduced depression and anxiety scores and improved quality-of-life scores in the areas of physical functioning, general health, vitality, social functioning, and mental health.
Source. "First-Ever Yoga Study Published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology Finds Yoga to be a Safe, Effective Therapy for Heart Patients." (2013, January 30). Retrieved February 21, 2013, from the PR Newswire website: http://s.tt/1zaCz.
Atrial Fibrillation Patients Benefit from Yoga
In a first-of-its-kind study, physicians at The University of Kansas Hospital evaluated the role of yoga in the management of atrial fibrillation (AFib), a common heart rhythm disorder that is a leading cause of stroke. The study, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology , found that rigorous practice of yoga can help reduce episodes of irregular heartbeat and improve the symptoms of anxiety and depression often associated with AFib. On average, yoga was found to cut patients' episodes of AFib in half and significantly improve quality of life.
Researchers followed 49 patients with AFib who had no physical limitations. During the first 3-month control phase, participants were permitted to engage in any type of physical activity they were previously accustomed to doing. This was followed by a 3-month study phase where patients participated in a supervised yoga program consisting of breathing exercises, yoga postures, meditation, and relaxation.
Forty-five-minute yoga sessions were administered by a certified professional three times per week over the course of the study phase. Participants were also given an educational DVD and encouraged to practice the exercises at home on a daily basis depending on their comfort levels. All participants were new to the practice of yoga, and the program was designed to allow beginners to progress safely from basic movements to more advanced practice over the course of the study.
Data showed the yoga intervention significantly reduced the number of episodes of irregular heart beat among AFib patients during the study phase compared to the control phase where participants were engaging in the physical activity of their choice. Yoga also reduced depression and anxiety scores and improved quality-of-life scores in the areas of physical functioning, general health, vitality, social functioning, and mental health.
Source. "First-Ever Yoga Study Published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology Finds Yoga to be a Safe, Effective Therapy for Heart Patients." (2013, January 30). Retrieved February 21, 2013, from the PR Newswire website: http://s.tt/1zaCz.
I still have to take a blood thinner but whatever works.
The meditation is the best part.
I bought some home yoga videos, called "Ageless Yoga," and I use them on my own--no pressure to keep up. I think I do better on my own than in a class, but I enjoy the social aspect of the class. I plan to combine at-home and class, until my muscles and my mind get used to it!
petey