[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2018\/01\/heart-health-zumba-and-yoga\/#Article","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2018\/01\/heart-health-zumba-and-yoga\/","headline":"Heart Health Benefits of Zumba and Yoga","name":"Heart Health Benefits of Zumba and Yoga","description":"Physical Activity is Important for Your Heart Health Everyone knows exercise is od for your health, but sometimes finding a workout you like and getting started is tough.  Yoga  In recent years, Zumba and Yoga have become very popular and with od reasons. Learn the health benefits in our blog!","datePublished":"2018-01-01","dateModified":"2021-04-23","author":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.upmc.com\/campaigns\/southcentral-pa","name":"UPMC Harrisburg","url":"https:\/\/www.upmc.com\/campaigns\/southcentral-pa","sameAs":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/upmc-harrisburg\/","parentOrganization":"UPMC"},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"UPMC HealthBeat","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/UPMC-HealthBeat-Logo.png","url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/UPMC-HealthBeat-Logo.png","width":600,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/heart-health-zumba-and-yoga.jpg","url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/heart-health-zumba-and-yoga.jpg","height":325,"width":754},"url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2018\/01\/heart-health-zumba-and-yoga\/","about":["Living and Wellness","Sports Medicine"],"wordCount":584,"keywords":["Pinnacle Health","yoga","Zumba"],"articleBody":"Updated September 2018Featuring Kathaleen King – Dailey, DNP, CRNPPhysical Activity is Important for Your Heart HealthEveryone knows exercise is good for your health, but sometimes finding a workout you like and getting started is tough.In recent years, Zumba and Yoga have become very popular and with good reasons. Jessica L. Root, PA-C\u00a0from the\u00a0PinnacleHealth CardioVascular Institute\u00a0at UPMC Pinnacle explains, \u201cBoth types of exercise offer great health benefits and are easy and fun to do. We always encourage patients to choose activities they enjoy because these are the activities that will become a healthy habit.\u201dBenefits of YogaYoga is seen by many as a trendy type of workout but it actually dates back many thousands of years. Consisting of slow-paced movements where participants focus on form and breathing, yoga has various styles of practice including Hatha, vinyasa, and Bikram to name a few. \u00a0Beginners often get caught up in the terminology and a feeling of self-consciousness, neither of which should hold someone back. \u00a0Yoga is meant to be a practice and a personal effort where you focus on yourself. \u00a0Even the most advanced practitioners (called yogis) will explain that they still practice and have od days and bad days. \u00a0The most important advice when beginning yoga is to be patient with yourself.Yoga is meant to be a practice and a personal effort where you focus on yourself.People now realize the many health benefits yoga offers which explain why so many people have made this a part of their healthy lifestyle. \u00a0These benefits are both mental and physical and include lower blood pressure, increased lung capacity, improved respiratory function and heart rate, better circulation, and better muscle tone.Additionally, yoga can aid in stress management, which provides positive benefits to heart health.\u201cSignificant stress has many negative effects on the body, including negative effects on the heart. \u00a0Yoga can help reduce stress by clearing the mind, increasing focus, and lowering blood pressure, even after just one session,\u201d explains Santina Sperling MS, CRNP with PinnacleHealth CardioVascular Institute at UPMC Pinnacle.Benefits of Zumba Zumba is a more recent workout craze that combines upbeat Latin music with a handful of easy to learn dance based moves. \u00a0Most participants describe Zumba as more dance party than a workout, but don\u2019t be fooled there are serious benefits to Zumba. The benefits include calorie burn, increased aerobic threshold, more stamina, increased bone density, improved balance and muscle tone, less body fat, and lower blood pressure.\u201cFrom a cardiovascular standpoint, any exercise that helps maintain a healthy weight, and helps to lower blood pressure, is a good exercise to try,\u201d says Jessica L. Root, PA-C a physician assistant and part of the PinnacleHealth CardioVascular Institute at UPMC Pinnacle.How Physical Activity Can Improve Your HealthThe American Health Association recommendations for physical activity outline the best way to about achieving heart health benefits from exercise. They include:Get the equivalent of at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic physical activity (2 hours and 30 minutes) each week.You can incorporate your weekly physical activity with 30 minutes a day on at least five days a week.Physical activity should be performed in episodes of at least 10 minutes, and preferably, it should be spread throughout the week.Include flexibility and stretching exercises.Include muscle strengthening activity at least two days each week.Join us during heart month for a variety of free seminars on how to improve your heart health. Visit us online at UPMCPinnacle.com\/heart.\u00a0"},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"2018","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2018\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"01","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2018\/\/01\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Heart Health Benefits of Zumba and Yoga","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2018\/01\/heart-health-zumba-and-yoga\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]