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19
Jan 12

Researchers explore the use of yoga to improve health outcomes

Based on observation of hundreds of people who had or were at risk for type 2 diabetes, the team found that an eight-week yoga course did not seem to increase the participants' average level of physical activity.

Based on observation of hundreds of people who had or were at risk for type 2 diabetes, the team found that an eight-week yoga course did not seem to increase the participants' average level of physical activity.

Nationwide, obesity rates are not declining, according to a recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Similarly, the incidence of type 2 diabetes has never been higher. With these things in mind, a team of researchers recently looked into the ability of yoga instruction to get people moving and improve health outcomes.

The rather curious results of the study appeared in the Journal of Physical Activity and Health.

What did scientists discover? Well, based on observation of hundreds of people who had or were at risk for type 2 diabetes, the team found that an eight-week yoga course did not seem to increase the participants' average level of physical activity.

However, researchers did note that yoga may affect people's health-related behaviors, which can in turn benefit well-being.

These results aren't all that surprising. After all, Dahn Yoga classes (to use a familiar example) are about soothing and caring for the body, not breaking a heavy sweat! To put it another way, while aerobic exercises increase the quantity of activity, yoga focuses on the quality.

By addressing the mind-body connection, millions of yoga enthusiasts improve their health in myriad subtle ways.

 

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09
Jan 12

Disabled man leads special Denver yoga classes

Hinojos has turned his life around by teaching a weekly yoga class intended to help people of all physical ability levels stay well and improve their health outcomes.

Hinojos has turned his life around by teaching a weekly yoga class intended to help people of all physical ability levels stay well and improve their health outcomes.

Several years ago, Tom Hinojos thought he had just six months to live. He'd suffered a brain hemorrhage that left him all but immobile, one which was thought to be almost certainly fatal. Now, he has recovered enough to be out of danger and teaching Denver yoga classes.

According to KMGH, an ABC affiliate in Colorado's capital, Hinojos has turned his life around by teaching a weekly yoga class intended to help people of all physical ability levels stay well and improve their health outcomes.

Now in a wheelchair, he told the news source that just after his brain injury, he had to reappraise what he could and could not accomplish physically. The prospect of being disabled shocked him.

"It was like hitting a brick wall," he told the news station. "I was in shock."

However, yoga helped him recover some physical function, as well as his optimism and hope. Today, Hinojos teaches yoga from his chair. He adapts his regimen to suit his students, some of whom are physically disabled.

"Yoga is powerful. It can change people's lives, truly," he emphasized. This kind of bright-spirited outlook is exactly what Dahn Yoga tries to instill in each and every one of its enthusiasts. More power to you, Tom!

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03
Jan 12

Baseball pro, Rockies fielder Michael Cuddyer uses yoga to improve health and wellness

Like his teammate Tulowitzki (pictured), Cuddyer may find that yoga is a flexible regimen that improves health and wellness while reducing tension and easing sore muscles.

Like his teammate Tulowitzki (pictured), Cuddyer may find that yoga is a flexible regimen that improves health and wellness while reducing tension and easing sore muscles.

As the newest addition to the Colorado Rockies, pro baseball player Michael Cuddyer has a big contract to live up to – three years and $31 million, according to USA Today. How will he stay fit and improve his health and wellness for the upcoming 2012 season? With yoga, possibly.

Shortstop Troy Tulowitzki told the Denver Post that he does yoga every day at 7 a.m. before hours of batting practice and interval training. Now that Cuddyer is joining the team, perhaps he'll also show up for Denver yoga classes.

The Rockies' newest acquisition has seen his share of injuries. In 2005, he suffered a torn meniscus, a condition that required surgery and effectively ended the season for him. Cuddyer also dislocated a finger in 2008 while sliding into a base.

Like his teammate Tulowitzki, Cuddyer may find that yoga is a flexible regimen that improves health and wellness while reducing tension and easing sore muscles.

He should know something about flexibility. According to USA Today, in his professional career, Cuddyer has played every field position but two – catcher and shortstop.

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28
Dec 11

Scientists, enthusiasts agree that yoga improves health outcomes

Individuals who do yoga often report feeling happier, healthier and less stressed than ever before.

Individuals who do yoga often report feeling happier, healthier and less stressed than ever before.

What do you love about yoga? Is it the regimen's soothing stretches and purifying deep-breathing exercises? Are you enamored with the way that yoga classes help you meet new friends and connect to your community? Or do you do yoga because it can help you improve your health outcome?

This latter capability is something for which the holistic system is widely renowned. Individuals who do yoga often report feeling happier, healthier and less stressed than ever before.

And those are just anecdotal reports! Scientific investigations have established that yoga really does improve health and wellness:

- For instance, a new study published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine (and widely discussed thereafter) found that yoga exercises can reduce chronic lower back pain. One participant reported that "walking around is no longer a problem, and I can do my gardening now so long as I pace myself. I've even taken on an allotment with my daughter and son-in-law and no longer take pain killers."

- An investigation conducted at Indiana University determined that yoga techniques can help stroke victims regain some of their mobility and sense of balance.

- Yoga may even soothe away pain for patients undergoing radiation treatment for breast cancer, according to a report published by the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

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21
Dec 11

Yoga may help women with breast cancer improve health outcomes

Researchers determined that regularly practiced yoga helped metastatic breast cancer patients lower their stress levels and reduce the amount of cortisol in their bodies.

Researchers determined that regularly practiced yoga helped metastatic breast cancer patients lower their stress levels and reduce the amount of cortisol in their bodies.

Knowing how to improve health is not always easy, particularly if you've been diagnosed with a serious disease. Among women with breast cancer, for example, managing psychological well-being can be extraordinarily difficult. However, a new study has found that these patients may use yoga-based therapies to improve their health outcomes.

The authors, a team of oncologists and complementary medicine experts from India, announced their findings at the 34th annual San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium.

In brief, the group determined that regularly practiced yoga helped metastatic breast cancer patients lower their stress levels and reduce the amount of cortisol in their bodies. Researchers noted that the latter substance is a hormone commonly associated with anxiety and depression.

The study was based on yoga treatments delivered to one-half of a group of 88 women with serious breast carcinomas. MedscapeToday News said that the results indicate that the holistic routine was "resoundingly effective."

Previous studies have come to similar conclusions. For instance, a report written by many of the same authors and delivered before the American Society of Clinical Oncology announced that yoga may help breast cancer patients deal with the mental anguish of chemotherapy better than traditional supportive therapies.

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12
Dec 11

Besides yoga, try eating foods that improve health

What kinds of meals will keep you full of nutrients and energy? You probably know some simple answers to this question, namely fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean protein.

What kinds of meals will keep you full of nutrients and energy? You probably know some simple answers to this question, namely fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean protein.

Are you on a mission to improve your health? Have you tried fad diets and exercise programs that just don't seem to address your well-being in a holistic way? If so, you may want to give yoga a try. While you're at it, consider sticking to foods that improve health.

What kinds of meals will keep you full of nutrients and energy? You probably know some simple answers to this question, namely fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean protein.

But in the interest of completeness, here are some tips on eating well, taken from the websites of the nation's leading health organizations:

- Watch what you drink. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns that it is easy to overlook the amount of calories and sugar that can be found in sweetened drinks. The agency recommends skipping the lattes, soft drinks, sweet teas and whipped drinks in favor of sparkling water, fruit juice, diet soda or skim milk.

- Stick to whole grains. If your pasta isn't labeled "whole grain," then eating it is like bolting down several slices of white bread.

- Add chopped veggies or blended fruits to many of your favorite dishes. The National Heart Lung and Blood Institute says that this is a good way to get your daily dose of produce without even noticing it's there.

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05
Dec 11

Yoga helps COPD patients improve health and wellness

Having chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) can limit the types of physical exercise a person may do in order to stay healthy.

Having chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) can limit the types of physical exercise a person may do in order to stay healthy.

Having chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) can limit the types of physical exercise a person may do in order to stay healthy. Likewise, living with a respiratory condition may make it hard to understand exactly how to improve one's well-being. Fortunately, research has shown that yoga can help COPD patients improve health and wellness without exhausting themselves.

COPD isn't one condition so much as an array of lung disorders, all of which make it hard to breathe. Emphysema and chronic bronchitis are two common obstructive pulmonary conditions, according to the National Institutes of Health.

These diseases account for millions of cases of COPD. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 14.8 million Americans suffer from either of the two respiratory conditions.

However, a new investigation has determined that yoga breathing may improve lung volume and quality of life for COPD patients. Published in the American Journal of Therapeutics, the study found that just three hours of yoga per week for six weeks helped patients increase their breathing strength and perceived quality of life.

It's little wonder that so many MDs suggest yoga and other complementary therapies for individuals with breathing problems.

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01
Dec 11

Dahn Yoga Cherry Creek – Center of the Month

Cherry Creek in Denver, Colorado

Image via Wikipedia

Dahn Yoga & Health Centers, Inc., a leader in health and wellness, is happy to honor its Cherry Creek, Colorado, location as the Center of the Month for November 2011. The Dahn Yoga studio, situated in the heart of Denver, touts a diverse membership committed to challenging themselves and continually reaping the many Dahn Yoga benefits.

Center Manager Danielle Gaudette notes the beauty of the studio, which features gold lobby walls, gorgeous large windows and an exotic tea room. Still, she admits it’s the members who truly make the location one to remember. “When they are really enjoying the process of growth and experiencing changes in their lives, their excitement and sincere hearts add genuine warmth to our center,” she says.

In addition to a number of exciting Dahn Yoga classes, the Cherry Creek center offers a handful of life-changing workshops and meditative courses. Lessons in DahnMuDo, a Korean martial arts discipline, are also now available three times a week.

Although the studio features a predominately female membership, Gaudette admits that she’s yearning to help men balance their bodies and minds as well. “We are eager and hopeful to have more male members soon!” she says.

 

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28
Nov 11

Improve health and wellness with ki energy

Whether you want to reduce their anxiety, improve your flexibility or just plain relax, there is a Dahn Yoga class that's right for you.

Whether you want to reduce their anxiety, improve your flexibility or just plain relax, there is a Dahn Yoga class that's right for you.

It's not uncommon for enthusiasts to take Colorado yoga classes in order to improve their health and wellness. Whether you want to reduce their anxiety, improve your flexibility or just plain relax, there is a Dahn Yoga class that's right for you.

One of the secrets behind Dahn Yoga's many benefits is that the mind-body system addresses the body's ki energy, which is a constantly circulating force that supports mental and physical well-being.

If your ki energy has become imbalanced, it won't take long for you to notice. When hot energy begins to pervade the head and cool forces to sink to the gut, you can feel exhausted, antsy, anxious or wrung out.

With a few simply yoga-based techniques, you can begin to redirect that energy back where it belongs. Cool ki energy is most beneficial when in the head, and warm energy naturally gravitates to the abdomen and pelvis.

What are the exercises that are best for ki energy circulation? It's no mystery. Dahn Yoga's gentle stretches, poses and meditation techniques can help you pursue mental and physical equilibrium while giving you increased clarity.

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21
Nov 11

Colorado Springs marathoner uses yoga to improve health and fitness

If you happen to see Captain Caroline White in your Colorado Springs yoga studio, wish her luck. She'll be training around town until January, when she will be participating in the Olympic marathon trials.

If you happen to see Captain Caroline White in your Colorado Springs yoga studio, wish her luck. She'll be training around town until January, when she will be participating in the Olympic marathon trials.

Colorado yoga classes draw a wide range of enthusiasts, from amateurs to experts, kids to the elderly, expectant mothers to…marathon runners? Believe it. And if you happen to see Captain Caroline White in your Colorado Springs yoga studio, wish her luck.

According to Schriever Air Force Base News, she'll be training around town until January, when she will be participating in the Olympic marathon trials.

White told the news source that ever since she finished this year's Boston marathon in two hours and 27 minutes, she's been asked time and again how she prepares for a race.

"Many [people] have general questions, from nutrition to cross training, or general motivation," White said, explaining that besides her daily running routine, she uses yoga and swimming to stay toned and flexible.

She's not the first prominent woman to say that she uses yoga to improve health and fitness before a race (though she's almost certainly the fastest).

Recently, model and long-time yoga enthusiast Christy Turlington Burns told the Associated Press that she practiced the holistic routine to prepare for the New York City Marathon.

Though the New York Post said that she broke the tape at a respectable four hours and 20 minutes, that time is still two hours behind the fleet-of-foot White.

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