Have you heard about yoga and wondered what the buzz was all about? Did you know there are many great health benefits to yoga, similar to the benefits of other types of exercise? It is true! There are many benefits of this practice: stress management, flexibility, and strength, just to name a few.
Yoga is for the expert and amateur alike. It is not just stretching for those who are already flexible, but will increase your flexibility, and benefit anyone of any age or any fitness level. Basically, yoga, as with any stretching, releases the lactic acid in our muscles that causes stiffness, pain, and fatigue. It increases range of motion and helps lubricate the joints to enable them to move more freely and make them more flexible.
Many poses, including downward dog, upward dog, and plank help build strength in the upper body and core, which is crucial as we age. Standing poses like tree or chair pose strengthen the quadriceps, hamstrings, and abdominal muscles.
Other benefits of yoga include better posture and body awareness. Posture is improved by the many different poses allowing us to focus on alignment, and is assisted by better body awareness. When engaging in regular sessions of yoga (at least twice a week), you will become more aware of how your body should feel. This also becomes crucial as we age.
Yoga can also improve endurance. Because of the deep breathing, lung capacity may be increased, which can help with endurance and sports performance. Additionally, yoga includes meditation, aiding in stress reduction and concentration. Practicing yoga encourages you to concentrate on each breath, which can have a calming effect. When you move your thoughts from the "mindless chatter" and focus on your breathing, a sense of calm often occurs. Although not researched significantly, yoga also has been known to aid with concentration and mood. Studies are currently being done on the effects of yoga to assist with depression and symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Finally, yoga can relieve symptoms of heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, stroke, asthma, back pain, arthritis, and many other medical conditions. The National Institute on Health has even funded clinical trials on the effects of yoga relieving insomnia and symptoms of multiple sclerosis.
With so many great benefits of yoga, what are you waiting for? Check out a book from the library on the subject or take a local yoga class and find out for yourself how beneficial it can be for you. The Body Shop offers yoga classes throughout the week. Check the website for the schedule and feel free to contact us with any questions.
Adapted from www.webmd.com
New to the Body Shop? Have questions? October's Membership Specialist Cheryl Estes, CPT, a Graduate Assistant for Health & Wellness, is here to help you. Feel free to ask her questions, offer suggestions, or set up a time to get oriented to the Body Shop facilities. You can find her in both facilities.