Perhaps it’s time for yoga to undergo a little bit of a cooldown — especially the sweltering hot variety.

If your goal is to improve your cardiovascular health, there are other types of exercise that outdo yoga in that department. High-intensity interval training is one. Strength training, Pilates and aerobic exercise are others. And hang onto your loose-fitting togs, because even Tai Chi, with its ever so slow, graceful movements and controlled breathing, works better to strengthen the heart.

A new study from researchers in India and the United Arab Emirates analyzed 10 studies of several types of physical activities and heart health in sedentary adults.

In one of the studies that delved into hot yoga, the researchers directly compared Bikram yoga practiced at 105 degrees Fahrenheit to the same routine performed in a 73-degree room. After 12 weeks, 54 sedentary adults, ranging in age from 40 to 60, saw similar outcomes regardless of temperature.

Neither group showed big changes in tests that measure how fast blood pressure waves travel through arteries.

One study found that Bikram [bi-kruhm] yoga offered some vascular improvements, but changes in participants’ blood vessel widening didn’t lead to less arterial stiffness, a key marker of heart health that occurs as we age.

The researchers note that their study is not meant to keep people away from yoga. Middle-aged and older people may see modest vascular benefits. And yoga offers advantages in other areas, like better balance, flexibility and stress relief.

But if you’re trying to exercise your way to better cardiovascular health, there are better ways to get there than posing like a cobra.