(EFFINGHAM, IL) – To recognize February as American Heart Month and to encourage people to take steps to improve their heart health, HSHS St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital will be offering an “Open Up Your Heart to Yoga” event on Thursday, February 15 at 5:30 p.m. This event will be held in the lower level classroom of the Convenient Care building, 801 West Temple Avenue in Effingham. It is free and open to the public.
At this event, Subhashish Agarwal, MD, cardiologist at the Prairie Heart Institute at HSHS St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital, will give a brief presentation about the benefits of yoga in a heart-healthy lifestyle, then will help lead the class through some relaxation and restorative yoga poses. Information about yoga classes offered through local yoga studios and fitness centers will be available for those in attendance. Participants are encouraged to bring yoga mats if they have them. Hospital Registered Dietitians will also be sharing information and recipes for heart-healthy eating.
According to the American Heart Association, practicing yoga can help prevent or reverse heart disease when done as part of a heart-healthy lifestyle. As such, yoga can help lower blood pressure, increase lung capacity, improve respiratory function and heart rate, and boost circulation and muscle tone. It can also improve your overall well-being while offering strength-building benefits.
Although the event is free, registration is preferred, as spaces are limited. To register for the “Open Up Your Heart to Yoga” event or for more information, visit HSHS St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital’s web site at stanthonyshospital.org/Openupyourheart. HSHS St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital is part of the Southern Illinois Division of Hospital Sisters Health System, which also includes HSHS St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in O’Fallon, HSHS St. Joseph’s Hospital in Breese, HSHS Holy Family Hospital in Greenville, and HSHS St. Joseph’s Hospital in Highland.