Veggie Blog

Yoga breathing exercises, known as pranayama, are often described as a natural help for asthma. The idea is appealing: slow, controlled breathing could calm the airways. Asthma affects about 300 million people worldwide, according to Cochrane, so it is no surprise that many look for extra help. The research is more cautious than the headlines. Here is what is known, and how to approach it safely if you have asthma.

Can yoga cure asthma?

No. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute states that there is no cure for asthma, but that treatment and an asthma action plan can help you manage it. The plan may include monitoring, avoiding triggers and using medicines. About 1 in 13 people in the United States have asthma. Certain things, such as pollen, exercise, viral infections and cold air, can set off or worsen symptoms. Because exercise itself can be a trigger for some people, anyone with asthma should follow their action plan and keep their quick-relief medicine close at hand when they are active.

What do the studies find?

The best summary comes from a Cochrane review that looked at 15 randomized trials with 1,048 participants. The authors found that yoga probably improves quality of life and asthma symptoms to some extent. However, their confidence in the results is low, because most of the studies were flawed. The effects on lung function were inconsistent, there was a small amount of evidence that yoga can reduce medication usage, and information on unwanted effects was very limited. They concluded that high-quality studies with large numbers of participants are needed. You can read the Cochrane summary for yourself.

What about children?

The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health reports that a 2020 review of 9 studies with 1,230 children and adolescents found that yoga was associated with improvements in lung function, stress and anxiety, and quality of life. It adds that, because the populations and yoga programs varied so much, it is unclear which parts of yoga and how much of it are needed to provide benefits.

What about older reports of breathing exercises?

You may come across older news stories about small hospital studies in which controlled breathing reduced how irritable the airways were. I could not trace the original study, so I have not relied on it. The reviews above are a better guide, and they suggest a modest benefit as an addition to usual care, not a replacement.

How can you try it safely?

First, never stop or reduce your asthma medicine without your doctor’s advice. Yoga is something to add to your treatment, not instead of it. Second, tell your doctor and your yoga teacher that you have asthma. Third, start with gentle, slow breathing and simple postures. The NCCIH advises people who are new to yoga to avoid forceful breathing and extreme practices, and to learn from a qualified instructor, so skip fast, forceful breathing exercises. Fourth, stop if you cough, wheeze or feel tight and use your quick-relief medicine as your plan says. For poses to begin with, see basic yoga postures and their variations and yoga postures: an introduction, and read how to choose a yoga video for beginners before you pick a video. See also the NHLBI asthma overview.

Many people say they would like to try yoga but do not have an hour to spare. The good news is that you do not need one. A few stretches and some slow breathing, done on most days at home or at work, can be a start. This article explains why short sessions are worth doing, how to fit them in, and where their limits lie.

Do short sessions count?

Yes, for general movement. The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommend that adults get at least 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week, plus muscle-strengthening activity on at least 2 days. The second edition of the guidelines removed the old requirement that activity be done in bouts of at least 10 minutes, to encourage people to move more often through the day. Gentle yoga is usually lighter work than brisk walking, so it is best seen as an addition to walking or other aerobic exercise. But a few minutes of stretching is a good way to break up long periods of sitting, and the first key guideline for adults is to move more and sit less. You can read the top 10 things to know about the guidelines on the official site.

What can you do in five minutes?

Here is a simple sequence, built from standard yoga and stretching moves rather than any published program. Stand tall and take three slow breaths. Reach both arms overhead, lean gently to one side and then the other. Roll your shoulders back. Bend forward at the hips with soft knees and let your arms hang. Then sit on a chair, turn your upper body gently to each side with a hand on your knee, and finish with a minute of slow breathing, in through the nose and out through the mouth. Harvard Health Publishing advises holding each stretch for about 30 seconds without bouncing, and stopping if you feel pain. Stretching after light activity, when the muscles are warm, works best.

Where can you fit it in?

Think of moments that already exist in your day: after you get out of bed, when the coffee brews, during a break from the computer, or before bed. Our gentle morning routine for beginners is one place to start, and the triangle pose for computer users fits into a work break. Start with just one slot a day and add more only when it feels easy. Short, regular practice is easier to keep up than a plan that needs a free hour.

What are the limits?

Short sessions will not replace a full workout, and a few stretches will not transform your body or cure any condition. NCCIH says yoga is generally safe when done properly, and that the most common injuries are sprains and strains, so do not force a stretch to make up for the small amount of time. People with a health condition, pregnant women and older adults should talk with their provider before beginning. The old post told the story of a yoga teacher who recovered after a serious accident and described her as looking decades younger than her age. I could not verify those claims, so I have not repeated them.

How do you make it last?

Tie the habit to something you already do, keep it short, and be kind to yourself on the days you miss. If you want a bit more, add a walk, which the guidelines count as moderate activity, and take a look at everyday activities that count as moderate exercise. As you gain confidence you can try a longer class, and our introduction to basic yoga postures will help you choose poses.

In 1990 a small study reported that a strict program of diet and lifestyle changes could make clogged heart arteries narrower, not just stop them from getting worse. It made news around the world. The old version of this post described it in garbled language. Here is what the study actually found, what it did not prove, and what you can safely take from it today.

What did the study find?

The study was the Lifestyle Heart Trial, led by Dr. Dean Ornish and published in The Lancet in 1990. It was a randomized controlled trial, which is the best design for this kind of question. Twenty-eight patients with coronary artery disease were assigned to an intensive lifestyle program (a low-fat vegetarian diet, stopping smoking, stress management training and moderate exercise), and 20 to a usual-care group. After one year, the average narrowing of the arteries (percent diameter stenosis) had regressed from 40.0 to 37.8 percent in the lifestyle group and progressed from 42.7 to 46.1 percent in the usual-care group. Overall, 82 percent of patients in the lifestyle group had an average change toward regression. The abstract in PubMed gives all the numbers.

What did it not prove?

Be careful with this result. The study was very small, with only 48 patients, and it lasted one year. The program had several parts, including the diet, exercise, stress management and no smoking, so the study cannot say which part did the work. The old post said that the researchers could not tell how much of the improvement came from each change, and that is still true. The participants were also strongly committed to a demanding program, which is hard to match in everyday life. And the study does not mean that anyone can safely stop heart medicine. People with heart disease should keep taking prescribed medicines and ask their cardiologist before making big changes.

What do heart experts recommend today?

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) says that most heart attacks are caused by coronary artery disease, that your age, lifestyle habits and other medical conditions can raise your risk, and that more than 800,000 people in the United States have a heart attack each year, according to the CDC. It also says that heart-healthy living means understanding your risk, making healthy choices and taking steps to reduce your chances of heart disease. The usual advice includes eating a healthy diet, being physically active, not smoking, managing stress, and treating high blood pressure and high cholesterol. See the NHLBI page on heart-healthy living for details.

What can you do in practice?

You do not need a strict program to make a difference. Start with food: our posts on what you can do to lower your cholesterol and what cholesterol is and why too much is a problem explain the basics, and understanding your cholesterol numbers shows how to read a test. Add regular movement with the ideas in health and fitness: why exercise matters. Stress management also has a place, and our article on what the research says about yoga covers the evidence. Talk to your doctor about your own risk and about which of these steps suit you.

When is it an emergency?

Symptoms of a heart attack include chest and upper body pain, shortness of breath, dizziness, sweating and nausea. Women often have different symptoms. NHLBI says that if you think you or someone else may be having a heart attack, you should call 9-1-1 right away, because acting fast can save your life.

Parkinson’s disease is a condition of the nervous system that affects movement, and many people living with it look for ways to stay active. Yoga is one option. The old version of this post mixed some facts with confusing claims about specific yoga styles and breathing. This updated article sticks to what major health organizations say, and it explains how to approach yoga safely if you or someone you love has Parkinson’s.

What is Parkinson’s disease?

According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), Parkinson’s disease (PD) causes nerve cells in parts of the brain to weaken, become damaged and die. This can lead to problems with movement and balance, tremor, and stiffness. Most PD symptoms happen when brain cells in an area called the substantia nigra, which produce dopamine, are lost; NINDS says that by the time symptoms appear, most people have lost 60 to 80 percent or more of these cells. As the disease progresses, people may have difficulty walking, talking or completing everyday tasks. Some people never develop a tremor. There is no single test that can definitively diagnose PD, so doctors consider the medical history, a neurological examination and sometimes other tests.

Can it be treated?

There is no cure for PD, but medicines or surgery can help people move more easily and improve other symptoms. Levodopa is the most common medicine. NINDS also lists lifestyle changes among the ways to help: exercise, a healthy diet and supportive therapies. The older post said that early diagnosis is important and that treatment lets many people lead active lives for years, which fits with this approach. In the late stages of the disease, medicines may no longer control symptoms well, and serious effects can include choking, pneumonia and falls. The NINDS page on Parkinson’s disease has the full details.

What does the research say about yoga?

The research is limited but encouraging. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health reports that a 2022 review of 14 studies, with 444 participants, suggests that yoga may have benefits for mobility, balance and quality of life for people with mild-to-moderate Parkinson’s disease, and that the studies also suggest yoga is safe and acceptable for them. NINDS lists yoga with walking, dancing, cycling and swimming among the activities that can help, and says that exercise can improve flexibility, balance, strength and the ability to move. None of this means yoga treats the disease itself.

How can you practice safely?

Always check with your doctor before starting a new exercise program, as NINDS advises. Look for a teacher with experience of Parkinson’s or a class designed for it, and ask about chair-based options to lower the risk of falling. Keep movements slow, use a wall or a sturdy chair for balance, and stop if anything hurts or if you feel dizzy. The old post said that daily activity should be encouraged but not enough to cause fatigue, which is good practical advice. NCCIH also reminds beginners to avoid extreme poses and to tell the instructor about any health condition.

Can breathing exercises help?

The old post said that yoga breathing might help during “freezing” episodes, when the feet seem stuck to the floor, and might help relax the facial muscles. I could not find reliable evidence for those specific claims, so I have not repeated them. NINDS does describe start hesitation and freezing as part of the disease, and your care team can advise you on ways to cope with them. Slow breathing is a low-risk way to relax, but treat it as a complement to your medical care.

Where can you learn more?

Our guide to what yoga is and the introduction to yoga postures and styles give general background, and the article on yoga and diabetes shows how to talk to your provider before beginning a program. Whatever you choose, aim for regular, gentle movement that you enjoy.

Losing weight is only half of the job. Keeping it off is the part many people find harder, and it is the purpose of the last phase of the Atkins plan. The old version of this post described Lifetime Maintenance, but much of it was unreadable. This rewrite covers the same ground in plain English and checks the advice against Atkins guidance and the best study of people who have kept weight off.

What is Lifetime Maintenance?

According to Atkins, you reach this phase once you have held your goal weight for a month. By then you should know your personal carb tolerance, which Atkins defines as the number of grams of net carbs you can eat while neither gaining nor losing weight. Atkins says most people find theirs between 40 and 120 grams of net carbs a day, depending on metabolism, age, gender and activity level, and that people who exercise regularly will probably have a higher tolerance. The old post said the same thing in different words: you use the carb count you learned in the earlier phases as a daily guide.

How can you tell if the plan is working?

The old post recommended choosing a maintenance range, for example 160 to 170 pounds if your goal was 165, and never letting your weight drift more than three to five pounds in either direction. Weighing yourself once a week was also recommended. This is practical advice, not an Atkins rule, but it fits what researchers have found. Members of the National Weight Control Registry, a group of people who have kept off at least 30 pounds for a year or more, mostly report weighing themselves regularly. Your weight can swing by a couple of pounds from day to day. The old post blamed hormones, and I could not confirm that, so the safest approach is to look at the trend over several weeks.

What do people who keep weight off actually do?

The registry paper by Hill and colleagues (2005) describes more than 4,800 participants who had, on average, lost over 70 pounds and kept it off for almost six years. Their common habits were a low-calorie, low-fat diet, eating breakfast almost every day (nearly 80 percent), about an hour a day of physical activity (walking was the most common), and regular weighing, with most weighing daily. People who kept a consistent diet on weekdays, weekends and holidays were best able to maintain their loss. It is worth noting that very few registry members followed low-carb diets, so the findings are not specific to Atkins, and the registry is not a random sample, so it cannot tell us how common success is. Even so, the habits are useful to copy. Read the paper: the National Weight Control Registry overview.

What should you do if the scale creeps up?

Atkins advises that if you gain weight or your cravings come back, you can regain control by dropping your carb intake by 10 to 20 grams. The old post suggested a similar approach: if you gain more than five pounds, buckle down and cut back. Act early. A few pounds are far easier to lose than 20, and regular weighing helps you catch the change quickly. Our post on overcoming plateaus on the Atkins diet shows how to adjust, and Atkins and sugar cravings helps if sweets are the trigger.

How do you deal with real life?

The old post said that keeping weight off means dealing with stress eating, emotional eating, holidays and restaurants. It is true that these situations are where most people slip. Plan ahead: look at a menu before you go, decide what you will order, and have a plan for the holidays. The old post also suggested donating your larger clothes and writing a list of the benefits of your new size. Those are personal motivation tricks, not research-backed methods, but they work for some people. If cost is a worry on a long-term low-carb plan, see eating low-carb on a budget.

What is the main message?

Maintenance is a long game. Keep exercising, check your weight regularly, and adjust carbs when needed. If you have a medical condition such as diabetes, kidney disease or heart disease, ask your doctor to review your plan regularly, since your medication and needs can change as your weight does. For the earlier steps in the plan, see Atkins diet basics.