THE HEALTH benefits of yoga have been much lauded by those practising it, but a study commissioned by a St Albans woman has proven it’s more than hearsay.

Nina Sebastiane, founder and teacher at Hot Yoga Herts, commissioned the University of East Anglia to research the benefits of yoga and the results draw on over 80 research projects worldwide.

Many of the independent randomised controlled trials and many smaller uncontrolled trials revealed that yoga greatly improved oxygen capacity, cardiopulmonary rates, menopausal symptoms, kidney function as well as aided weight loss.

Yoga, which originated around 4,000 years ago, was also found to have been conducive to better sleep patterns, reduced anxiety symptoms and asthma attacks and been beneficial to those recovering from cancer and strokes. in a particular study that focused on whether yoga reduced anxiety, it was found to be more effective than Diazepam.

Nina, who has a background in TV presenting, said she was delighted with the results which offered an alternative to the “anecdotal evidence” that seems to surround yoga.

The consolidation of so many variable studies into the health benefits of yoga was made possible after Nina was granted £3,000 from the East of England Development Agency.

The budget did not allow for a specific study into the benefits of hot yoga although this may be something that comes up in the future.

She said: “It’s extremely positive and it’s what many of us already knew, but it also highlights a real need for regular systematic reviews of the benefits of yoga. It’s a summary of many thousands of pages of studies and backs up a lot of what we at Hot Yoga Herts have been saying for some time.”

Hot Yoga Herts is the only place in Hertfordshire that currently offers yoga sessions in a heated environment and its popularity is increasing. Sports stars such as Ryan Giggs and Andy Murray swear by the practice and Bikram yoga – another form of hot yoga in which Nina is trained but doesn’t teach – can also claim such followers as Pink and George Clooney. The benefits of exercising in a heated environment are that the muscles are able to work deeply without the risk of injury.

Nina’s classes are very popular and she’s recently employed a second teacher to take on the increasing numbers with her. she is also working busily to complete Hot Yoga Herts’ first studio, which will be in St Albans and is expected to be completed within the next six months.

For more information, contact Nina on 07956 360166 or vist the website hotyogaherts.co.uk