Yoga has become incredibly popular in the last 10 years. You surely have friends that swear by it and you probably tried it yourself a time or two. Yoga is a type of exercise that can be done by those of all fitness levels. This exercise also has many different health benefits that cannot be denied.
If you are still on the fence about whether or not yoga is for you, once you learn about the benefits you are sure to make up your mind. Exercising sometimes does not cut. Many do not even have the opportunity to exercise. So you can choose the alternative option that is known as yoga. You don’t have to go out, you do not have to stretch more, you would not sweat even.
All you have to do is maintain harmony between your poise, spirit, and soul. It will create an effect that would do wonder to your body. But this is not the only benefit that yoga has. Here are some of the health benefits of yoga.
What Are The Benefits Of Doing Yoga:
There are many benefits that practicing yoga can bring you. You have to maintain a rhythm but make sure that you are indulged at the moment. Like everything, yoga has two types of benefits. One is physical, the other mental. We will discuss both the health advantages of yoga.
Physical Strength
While strength training is important and should be performed at least two to three times a week on non-consecutive days, yoga can further increase your strength. Of course, strong muscles are also more toned so this makes you look and feel better too. The key to building strength is to use proper form.
For example, properly performing Down Dog will work to strengthen and tone your core, as well as improve your posture because a strong core naturally results in better posture. You will also notice an increase in your flexibility as you practice regularly and gain more strength.
Flexibility
If you know anyone really dedicated to yoga then you know how flexible this person is. Yoga consists of a variety of movements that thoroughly stretch your muscles. Now, you do not have to be flexible to get started with yoga. In fact, many people are not.
A lot of people start yoga because it is low impact and the beginner moves are true “beginner” so that everyone can do them. You progress to new moves at your own pace. All of the soft tissues – including the muscles – will be stretched nicely and to a point where they should be so that you can move freely and pain-free.
Less Stress
Everyone could use a little break from stress and yoga is a great way to do it. You will be performing very controlled breathing while you go through each move. The movements are fluid and you will be inhaling and exhaling in a way that allows for alleviation in tension.
After a session, you will be more tuned into your movements and breathing as you go throughout the day. This helps to reduce stress. Since yoga is a form of exercise, endorphins are released when you are doing it and this is also very helpful in lessening stress and improving mood.
Posture
Poor posture makes you look like you are not confident or not interested. This body language is not going to attract anyone. When your strength and flexibility improve, you will notice that you naturally start to stand taller and straighter. This will literally come with you doing yoga regularly.
Then, since you are walking tall and sitting properly, you will notice that tension and muscle pain – especially in the neck and shoulders – starts to diminish because your muscles are in their proper position and not one that is straining them.
Better Breathing
A big part of yoga is breathing properly. This helps to improve your lung capacity. With this comes more endurance to perform cardiovascular activities so that you can strengthen your heart and build your lungs up even more.
In addition to this, mindful breathing is a simple technique to calm you when you are stressed and need a few minutes to relax.
Physical Benefits:
There are many yoga steps that are directed towards making each part of your body but they have only one accumulated benefit, which is to make you healthy and stronger.
- Prevents inflammation: Such yoga steps are there which are directed towards preventing the inflammation. A survey has shown that 35% of the cancer patients after they have started yoga, felt that their inflammation has ended. Those who are suffering from chronic inflammatory disease or feel inflammation due to heart disease, diabetes can start yoga.
- Benefit for the heart: Yoga has a way of strengthening your heart. It prevents many heart diseases even from formulating and keeps your heart healthy and pumping. One of the best effects of doing yoga is that it keeps the blood flowing normally. Anulom vilom pranayama yoga for circulation is best. The oxygen reaches your heart very perfectly and the arteries open more so that the blood flow is fine.
- Decreases blood pressure: Because of the blood flow that happens very well due to yoga, the chances of suffering from high blood pressure decreases. Lowered blood pressure prevents the risk of ever contracting stroke, heart attack, stroke or even makes your heart strong and healthy. A study has shown that those who do yoga regularly and have maintained to do you’re for a long time have low bad cholesterol and a high amount of good cholesterol.
- Good for pain: When you witness a pain that is not going away, you can rely on yoga as there is such pranayama that helps you fight the pain. Yogic breath reduces pain and that is why many to-be mothers practice this breathing session before labor to manage the pain. It shifts your nervous system and tries to calm you down.m by reducing the pain.
- Betters your bone health: Pranayama like Parivrtta Trikonasana, Marichyasana are some of the asanas which can help you have a healthy bone structure and even a healthy life. It stimulates growth and reduces chronic pain in the adjacent area meanwhile making it strong. A study has shown that those who do these asanas have increased density of the bone and have a more healthy bone and suffer from no pain.
- Protects your spine: There are yogas such as Urdhva Mukha Svanasana, Dhanurasana, Ustrasana etcetera that is directed towards making your spine healthy as it makes it stronger and protects it. It helps stretch and makes it stronger. It has been said in a study that such pranayama helps in the alignment of the spine. Those who have back pain or arthritis can surely try this pranayama.
Mental Health:
Apart from physical health, yoga is directed towards making mental health good too. Uttanasana and Setu bandha along with supta baddha konasana are some of the mind fit yoga that could relieve mental exhaustion. Many psychologists, as well as shrinks, advise their patients to do yoga because it keeps depression, anxiety, and restlessness away. It reduces stress and keeps you happy.
If you are mentally happy, that would affect positively your physical health. Make sure that you keep doing yoga. The yogic technique procedure which has four static yoga movements are directed toward making your mind more conscious, free and relieved. It keeps you mentally healthy. Many times it has been said that yoga has a way of reducing panic attacks too. So whenever you are restless, make sure that you do yoga as yoga cures such mental stress effortlessly.
Yoga is a great alternative to exercise that does the job of what medicine and exercise do for you. Go and put on your yoga pants and start going to yoga class. Yoga is an accumulation of some asanas that are aimed towards making your mental and physical health better. Those asanas work internally and externally.