JOIN USUsing mobile phones can cause a significant rise in your blood pressure, but here is some good news - practising yoga can help lower it, new research has found.
Researchers from Guglielmo da Saliceto Hospital in Piacenza, Italy found that during a phone call, blood pressure readings jumped significantly from 121/77 to 129/82.
Systolic blood pressure rise was less drastic in patients who were used to participating in more than 30 phone calls per day.
"The subset of patients who were more accustomed to phone use were younger, which could show that younger people are less prone to be disturbed by telephone intrusions," Dr Crippa said."Another possibility is that people who make more than 30 calls per day may feel more reassured if the mobile phone is activated since they are not running the risk of missing an opportunity," Crippa said.
In another study, researchers found that while yoga calms the mind and works out the body, it also significantly lowers blood pressure.
The 24-week study, conducted by Debbie L Cohen, Anne Bowler, and Raymond R Townsend of the University of Pennsylvania, showed that people who practised yoga 2-3 times per week saw their blood pressure decrease significantly: an average of three points for both systolic and diastolic blood pressure, from 133/80 to 130/77.
Participants who only followed a controlled diet—and did not practise yoga saw only a decrease of one point, from 134/83 to 132/82.
The research will be presented at the 28th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Society of Hypertension (ASH) in San Francisco.