Six Scientifically Proven Benefits of Yoga
Exercise is an integral part of a healthy lifestyle. Physical activity, no matter what type you do, gives your body what it needs. Practicing yoga offers additional benefits for those looking for a new way to move.
Yoga, a great exercise, can help you meet the two weekly muscle-strengthening activities recommended for adults ages 18 to 64. Plus, it can have a significant impact on your physical and psychological well-being.
So get out your yoga mat and discover the six scientifically proven reasons to practice this sport.
Yoga can increase your strength
While yoga is often thought of as a passive exercise, it is not. Each yoga pose targets a specific muscle group. Even the simplest poses help strengthen and tone muscles. The benefits of yoga as a strengthening exercise have been widely studied. According to a study conducted in the United Kingdom , yoga improved multiple physical functions in adults aged 60 and older, including flexibility, balance, and strength.
Yoga can improve your overall quality of life
Yoga’s powerful combination of physical and mental activities improves quality of life. The aforementioned study found that practicing yoga had a positive impact on the overall quality of life of older adults. Participants who practiced yoga were more likely to be satisfied with their mental health, physical health, sleep quality, and energy than the control group.
Another study was conducted among women suffering from chronic pelvic pain (CPP) and concluded that practicing yoga contributed to better pain management and an improvement in the participants’ overall quality of life.
Also Read: Physical inactivity and sedentary lifestyle – What effects on health?
Yoga Can Boost Your Brain
If you’re looking for an exercise that engages both your body and mind, look no further. Yoga activates areas of the brain responsible for executive function, motivation, attention, and neuroplasticity. One study looked at neuroimaging results and concluded that yoga has a structural and functional effect on the brain areas responsible for interoception , posture, motivation, and higher executive functions.
Yoga Can Help You Beat Burnout
Burnout, a psychological condition that occurs when a person experiences prolonged periods of stress on a daily basis, affects 84% of the Canadian workforce . With its unique combination of physical activity and mindfulness, yoga can help combat symptoms of burnout. A 2021 study looked at hospice workers who were experiencing burnout and found that yoga-based meditation techniques significantly helped reduce the effects of burnout by improving interoceptive awareness—the ability to recognize, sense, understand, and respond to one’s internal cues.
Yoga can promote sleep
A good night’s sleep is largely about feeling relaxed. According to a study conducted by Health Canada , 36.3% of adults who didn’t get seven to nine hours of sleep a night reported chronic stress issues. A great way to reduce stress at bedtime is to practice mindfulness-based relaxation and stress-reduction techniques and exercise regularly. Yoga can kill two birds with one stone! Marlynn Wei, a licensed psychiatrist and certified yoga instructor, explains in a Harvard Health article that breathing is key to relaxing in yoga poses. She recommends a calming yoga breathing technique called “ujjayi breathing”:
- Inhale through your nose.
- Exhale through your nose, tightening the back of your throat as if you were saying “ah,” but keep your mouth closed.
- Repeat slowly and steadily throughout your workout.
You can improve your balance
Balance is a common issue as we age, but the importance of good balance at every age and stage of life cannot be underestimated. Balance is essential for many everyday movements that we often overlook. Bending to pick something up from the floor, walking down stairs, and reaching for a shelf are things that most people do every day. And they all require good balance. As we age, the risk of falling becomes significant, and good balance can help reduce that risk. Yoga can help you develop balance, with everything from tree pose to warrior 2 helping to improve it.
A study of older adults looked at the effects of practicing yoga for one year on their overall balance in an effort to reduce the risk of falling. It found that yoga had a positive effect on balance and reduced the risk of falling.
Another great thing about yoga is that it only requires a space to practice—no special equipment is required. If you’re looking for a place to start, try these six yoga poses to stay healthy, no matter your age
