Forget 10,000 steps, cycling or gym: Best exercise for taking care of your heart & improving blood circulation

When it comes to keeping the heart healthy, walking, cycling and gym workouts are often the first exercises that come to mind. But another low-impact activity may also offer meaningful cardiovascular benefits: yoga.

Yoga combines physical postures with breathing exercises, relaxation and meditation. Research suggests that regular practice may help improve several factors linked to heart health, including blood pressure, heart rate and blood-vessel function.

However, experts caution that yoga should complement, rather than replace, established cardiovascular exercise and medical treatment where required.


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How yoga may benefit heart health

Yoga is a mind-body form of exercise that combines movement with controlled breathing and relaxation. These elements may influence the cardiovascular and nervous systems in several ways.

The American Heart Association has noted that research suggests yoga may help with blood pressure, cholesterol, body weight and stress, all factors that can influence cardiovascular risk. Deep breathing and relaxation may also help reduce the body's stress response.

Yoga may help lower blood pressure

One of the strongest areas of research around yoga and heart health is blood pressure.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of 37 randomised controlled trials found that, compared with non-exercise controls, yoga was associated with reductions in systolic and diastolic blood pressure. The analysis also reported improvements in several other cardiovascular and metabolic risk factors, although the researchers noted limitations including small study sizes and differences between trials.

Research specifically examining older adults has also reported favourable changes in blood pressure, body composition, glucose and lipid levels following yoga interventions. The review concluded that yoga appeared safe and feasible for older adults, while calling for more research.

Yogic breathing may also support cardiovascular health

Breathing exercises, or pranayama, are an important component of many forms of yoga.

A 2026 systematic review and meta-analysis published in the Indian Heart Journal examined seven randomised controlled trials involving 683 people with hypertension. Researchers found that yogic breathing significantly reduced heart rate and suggested that it may also modestly lower blood pressure. The authors described pranayama as a potential adjunctive therapy but said larger, standardised trials are still needed.

Yoga may improve blood-vessel function

Yoga may also influence how well blood vessels function.

A 2024 systematic review and meta-analysis published in the Journal of Integrative and Complementary Medicine included 18 studies involving 1,043 participants. Twelve studies reported improvements in endothelial function, while six did not find statistically robust effects.

The meta-analysis of six controlled studies found that yoga was associated with an improvement in brachial flow-mediated dilation, a measure of endothelial function. The researchers concluded that yoga may help improve endothelial function, although they called for larger clinical trials.

Yoga may support people with cardiovascular risk factors

A separate systematic review examining yoga as a complementary approach for people at risk of or living with cardiovascular disease found that all 12 interventions included in the review reported significant improvements in at least one cardiovascular risk factor.

However, the researchers also highlighted limitations such as small sample sizes and high dropout rates.

This means yoga may have potential as part of a broader heart-health routine, but the evidence does not establish it as a replacement for conventional cardiovascular exercise or treatment.

Yoga and circulation: What does the research say?

Healthy blood vessels need to widen and respond properly to changes in blood flow. This function is partly controlled by the endothelium, the thin layer of cells lining blood vessels.

The 2024 systematic review found evidence that yoga can improve endothelial function, although the results varied across individual studies. Better endothelial function is potentially relevant to cardiovascular health because endothelial dysfunction is associated with the development of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease.

Yoga Nidra may also affect heart-health markers

More recent research has also examined Yoga Nidra, a guided relaxation practice.

A 2025 systematic review and meta-analysis covering 28 studies found that Yoga Nidra was associated with improvements in several cardiovascular markers, including systolic and diastolic blood pressure, heart rate and some measures of heart-rate variability.

However, the researchers noted methodological limitations in much of the existing evidence and said better-designed randomised controlled trials are needed.

How to practise yoga safely for heart health

Yoga does not have to involve advanced poses or intense flexibility work. Beginners can start with gentle movements, controlled breathing and relaxation techniques.

For a session to be useful, focus on:

• Controlled, comfortable breathing
• Correct alignment
• Slow and manageable movements
• Relaxation between poses
• Gradually increasing intensity and duration
• Choosing exercises appropriate for your fitness level

People with heart disease, uncontrolled high blood pressure or other medical conditions should speak to a healthcare professional before starting a new exercise routine.

Yoga can be part of a wider heart-health routine

The available evidence suggests that yoga may help improve blood pressure, heart rate, cardiovascular risk factors and endothelial function. It may be particularly attractive to people looking for a low-impact activity that can be practised at home or in a group.

Still, calling yoga the single “best” exercise for the heart would go beyond the evidence. Cardiovascular health generally benefits from a combination of regular physical activity, strength training, a balanced diet, adequate sleep and management of conditions such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

Yoga can therefore be a useful part of the routine, especially when its movement, breathing and relaxation components make regular exercise easier to maintain.


Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Consult a qualified healthcare professional before starting any new exercise or fitness routine, especially if you have an existing health condition.