asthma

Being overweight or obese was also shown to make asthma more likely - and to worsen the symptoms.

Spare tire, gut, muffin top, love handles, or chub, no matter what you call it. Nobody wants belly fat, it's everybody's nemesis.

And the woes of a tummy aren't limited to keeping your favorite designer jeans in the closet.

Abdominal fat can sack your health, leading to things like heart disease and diabetes, and now you can add asthma to the list too.

Until recently, the link between yoga and improved asthma was anecdotal, but unproven.

But, a recent study out of New York University School of Medicine/Bellevue Medical Center has made a pretty good case. Researchers there found that asthmatics who practised Hatha yoga regularly (or three times a week) for ten weeks reported a significant improvement in asthma symptoms and quality of life, and some were even able to reduce their controller medications.

There are two theories as to why this works. One is that as asthmatics are trained to be more aware of their breath, they recognize and treat symptoms earlier. The other is that deep breathing done during yoga trains the lungs, making them stronger and more functional.