Vinyasa Yoga for High Blood Pressure

Overseen By Alexis Thrower, MS

Age: 18+

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: West Virginia University

Disqualifiers: Regular exercise, Regular yoga, Uncontrolled hypertension, Pregnancy, others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 36

Duration: 12 weeks

30 Participants Needed

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial tests whether vinyasa yoga, a style of flow yoga, can help people with high blood pressure. Over 12 weeks, one group will participate in online yoga sessions, while the other group will maintain their usual routine. Researchers aim to determine if yoga can enhance heart health and well-being. This trial suits individuals with high blood pressure who do not currently practice yoga or meet regular exercise guidelines. As an unphased trial, it provides a unique opportunity to explore yoga's potential benefits for heart health in a flexible, online format.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial does not specify if you need to stop taking your current medications, but it requires that you are on a stable dose of any medications that could affect the study outcomes.

What prior data suggests that vinyasa yoga is safe for individuals with high blood pressure?

Research has shown that vinyasa yoga is generally safe and can benefit people with high blood pressure. Studies have found that yoga can lower the systolic blood pressure by about 4 to 8 points and the diastolic pressure by about 3 to 6 points, which can improve heart health.

However, some yoga poses might temporarily increase blood pressure, sometimes reaching levels close to 200 in healthy adults. While this usually isn't problematic, it is important to consider, especially for those with blood pressure concerns.

Overall, vinyasa yoga is well-tolerated, and many people find it helps reduce stress, which is linked to high blood pressure. Before starting a yoga program, consulting a doctor is advisable, particularly if there are specific health concerns. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about Vinyasa Yoga for high blood pressure because it offers a holistic approach that differs from traditional medication or lifestyle changes like diet and exercise. Unlike drugs that target blood pressure through chemical pathways, Vinyasa Yoga combines physical poses, mindfulness, and breathing techniques to promote relaxation and stress reduction, which can naturally help lower blood pressure. This method is also notable for its accessibility, as sessions are delivered remotely via Zoom, making it easy for participants to incorporate into their daily lives without the need for in-person classes.

What evidence suggests that vinyasa yoga might be an effective treatment for high blood pressure?

Research has shown that yoga can help lower blood pressure. Specifically, vinyasa yoga, which participants in this trial will practice, can reduce the systolic number by about 4 to 8 points and the diastolic number by about 3 to 6 points. One study found that yoga lowered systolic blood pressure by about 6.5 points and diastolic by about 2.8 points compared to those who didn't practice yoga. These reductions are important because even small drops in blood pressure can decrease the risk of heart problems. Overall, practicing vinyasa yoga could be a helpful way to improve heart health for people with high blood pressure. ^{1 3 4 5 6}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Bethany Barone Gibbs, PhD

Principal Investigator

West Virginia University

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for adults with high blood pressure who have not engaged in a regular yoga practice. Participants must be able to attend remote Zoom sessions three times per week for 12 weeks and should not be involved in other similar interventions.

Inclusion Criteria

Individuals with a resting systolic BP >130 mmHg

Exclusion Criteria

Practice yoga regularly (1 or more day/wk in the past month)

Are currently pregnant or planning to become pregnant within 6 months

Are concurrently enrolled in another lifestyle program

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Treatment

Participants receive a 12-week vinyasa yoga intervention via Zoom, with three 60-minute sessions per week

12 weeks

36 sessions (virtual)

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for safety and effectiveness after treatment

4 weeks

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Vinyasa Yoga

Trial Overview The study tests if a remote vinyasa yoga program can improve heart health over 12 weeks. Half of the participants will do flow yoga via Zoom, while the other half continue their usual routine. Health measures like blood pressure and well-being are compared before and after.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Vinyasa Yoga Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Participants will complete a 12-week, remotely-delivered intervention with three 60-minute vinyasa yoga sessions per week via Zoom, following an adapted Journey into Power yoga sequence by Baron Baptiste. The sessions will incorporate three mind-body components of yoga: through physical yoga poses, mindfulness, and breathing.

Group II: Standard Routine Active Control 1 Intervention

Standard usual routine for 12 weeks

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

West Virginia University

Lead Sponsor

Trials

192

Recruited

64,700+

Published Research Related to This Trial

A systematic review of 94 randomized controlled trials involving 8,430 participants found that yoga is as safe as usual care and exercise, with no significant differences in serious adverse events or dropouts due to adverse events.

While yoga had a higher occurrence of nonserious adverse events compared to psychological or educational interventions, the overall safety profile suggests that it is a viable therapeutic option, highlighting the need for better reporting of safety data in future studies.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The Safety of Yoga: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Cramer, H., Ward, L., Saper, R., et al.[2018]

Citations

1. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3679769/

Effectiveness of Yoga for Hypertension: Systematic Review ... Overall, yoga was associated with a modest but significant reduction in blood pressure (≈4 mmHg, systolic and diastolic) in this population.

2. frontiersin.org frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2022.846231/full

Content, Structure, and Delivery Characteristics of Yoga ... Yoga reduced SBP and DBP compared to a control intervention (MD −6.49 and −2.78; 95CI% −8.94– −4.04 and −4.11– −1.45, respectively). Eighteen, ...

3. withpower.com withpower.com/trial/phase-hypertension-5-2025-e0336

Vinyasa Yoga for High Blood Pressure Studies found that yoga interventions reduced systolic blood pressure by about 4 to 8 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure by about 3 to 6 mmHg, suggesting it can ...

4. sciencedirect.com sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0965229920318525

The acute effects of vinyasa flow yoga on vascular function, ... Hatha yoga studies have revealed improvements in arterial stiffness, endothelial function and blood pressure, in disease-burdened, aging and at-risk populations ...

5. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10684087/

Blood pressure and heart rate variability responses ... The results of this study signify that vinyasa yoga alters some autonomic and cardiovascular functioning by decreasing SBP and DBP, increasing ...

6. heart.org heart.org/en/news/2019/09/05/study-hints-at-hot-yoga-benefit-for-blood-pressure

Study hints at hot yoga benefit for blood pressure At 12 weeks, the hot yoga group's systolic blood pressure dropped from an average 126 at the study's start to 121 after 12 weeks. Their average ...