); Wisdom Quarterly
Yoga -- that touchy-feely, non-competitive, OM-chanting exercise -- can kill you. [But you're more likely to die from chocolate.] Well, that may be extreme...it can also lead to a healthier and happier life if done right.New York Times Pulitzer-prize-winning science writer William Broad has a new book, The Science of Yoga, [on] the pluses and minuses of the popular exercise....
Broad says studies show that yoga doesn't provide enough heart pounding to give you the weekly recommended aerobic activity, contrary to the way yoga is often marketed.
"Clearly a lot of the claims are inflated, and some of the most inflated claims center on this mythical, aerobic quality of yoga," he said.
"It turns out that no matter how hard or how fast you do yoga, you just don't get the heart pounding 'oomph' you need to fulfill even the most basic of aerobic guidelines. Yoga, in general, tends to be gentle. That's a great thing!"...
"There have been beautiful studies showing how it releases natural chemicals in the brain; lift moods and outlook. Yoga stirs hormones that can revitalize your sex life," he continued. "The bottom line, and probably the most important thing and the reason that so many people go to yoga, is that it clearly improves overall health." More
