As you may be aware, yoga can help you build strength, improve flexibility, and alleviate pain. But what about the benefits you’ll get outside of the gym?
As a dedicated yoga practitioner, you’ve no doubt noticed the advantages of yoga. Maybe you’re getting more rest, getting sick less, or just feeling more at ease. A growing body of Western scientific evidence shows that yoga improves health, relieves pain, and prevents sickness. Once you’ve mastered them, you’ll find yourself even more eager to get to your mat and less baffled when someone asks why you spend so much time there.
Benefits of yoga are mentioned below:
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You become more flexible as a result of it
Increased flexibility is one of yoga’s most notable benefits. During your first class, you won’t be able to do anything but touch your toes. If you stick with it, you’ll feel your muscles loosen up and be able to achieve poses that seemed out of reach before. There should be less soreness and aches and pains. This is not a one-off occurrence. Tight hips can put stress on the knee joint if the thigh and shinbone alignment is off. Tight hamstrings can cause back pain by flattening the lumbar spine. Muscular and connective tissue stiffness, such as fascia and ligaments, can also contribute to poor posture.
Provides spine protection
Movement is sought by the spinal discs, which act as shock absorbers between the vertebrae. Nerves can be squeezed if the disc herniates. They don’t have any other option for getting their food. Maintaining a well-balanced asana practise with plenty of backbends, forward bends, and twists will help keep your discs supple. When it comes to overall flexibility, yoga has a lot to offer. However, spinal health is where it really shines.
Strengthens your muscles
Well-developed muscles have a function aside from being aesthetically pleasing. Also, they help keep us healthy by preventing diseases like arthritis and back pain, and by assisting the elderly in avoiding accidents like falls. Furthermore, yoga aids in the maintenance of a healthy balance between strength and flexibility. If all you did was lift weights at the gym, you’d gain strength at the expense of flexibility.
It improves posture
Your cranium resembles a bowling ball in size, being massive, spherical, and heavy. Your neck and back muscles will work much more efficiently if you rest it directly on an upright spine. You’ll strain those muscles if you try to move it even an inch forward. Holding a bowling ball for eight or twelve hours straight will leave you exhausted. It’s also possible that you’re dealing with something other than exhaustion. Poor posture can lead to a variety of health problems, including those involving the back, neck, and other muscles and joints. Drooping can cause the normal inward curves in your neck and lower back to flatten. Osteoarthritis and back pain are two possible outcomes.
Prevents the degradation of cartilage and joints
When you practise yoga, you put your joints through their paces. Unused sections of cartilage can be “squeezed and soaked” to reduce disability and prevent degenerative arthritis. Judgment cartilage is similar to a sponge; it only receives new nutrients after its fluid has been removed and an additional supply has been introduced to the system. As worn-out brake pads are not properly cared for, neglected areas of cartilage may eventually wear away and reveal the underlying bone.
It helps to maintain healthy bones
Weight-bearing exercise helps to prevent osteoporosis by strengthening bones. Many positions in yoga require you to lift your own weight. When practising downward-facing dog and upward-facing dog, you’re strengthening your arm bones, which are particularly vulnerable to osteoporotic fractures. An unpublished study at California State University, Los Angeles found that people who practised yoga had higher levels of bone density in their vertebrae. With its ability to lower cortisol levels, yoga may help the body better absorb calcium from the diet.
It improves blood circulation
Yoga helps to improve blood flow because it gets the heart rate up. Specifically designed yoga relaxation exercises can improve circulation throughout the body, but this is especially true in the hands and feet. Yoga also improves the performance of your cells by increasing the amount of oxygen delivered to them. After relaxing the twist, it’s believed that twisting positions expels venous blood from the body’s organs. Inversions such as Headstand, Adho Mukha Vrksasana (Handstand), and Shoulderstand encourage the return of venous blood to the heart, where it can be pushed to the lungs and oxygenated there. This can help with swollen legs caused by heart or kidney issues. In addition to increasing the production of haemoglobin and red blood cells, which transport oxygen to the body’s tissues, yoga has other benefits. It also thins the blood by reducing the amount of clot-promoting proteins in the blood and making platelets less sticky. Considering that blood clots are a leading cause of heart attacks and strokes, this could lead to fewer fatalities in the long run
Improves immunity by draining lymph nodes
Lymph outflow can be aided by muscle contraction and stretching, organ movement, and by performing yoga poses in and out. Immunity is improved by assisting the lymphatic system in fighting infection, eliminating cancer cells, and clearing harmful waste from cellular activity.
Increases transformational awareness
People can become more self-aware by practising yoga or meditation. As your awareness grows, so does your ability to let go of strong emotions like rage. Studies show that chronic rage and hostility are as much of a risk factor for heart disease as smoking, diabetes, and high cholesterol. Yoga appears to calm the nervous system and the mind while also promoting compassion and connectedness. The ability to step back and remain calm in the face of bad news or upsetting circumstances is improved as a result of meditation. However, you can use that split second to take a more mindful approach, reducing suffering for both yourself and others. Yoga has been shown to improve reaction time in this regard.
Makes your heart beat faster
Heart attack risk can be reduced, and depression can be alleviated by engaging in regular aerobic activity. If you practise energetically or go to flow or Ashtanga classes, you can raise your heart rate into the aerobic range even if your yoga isn’t. Cardiovascular fitness can be improved with yoga poses that don’t raise your heart rate to the same degree as more intense poses. By lowering resting heart rate, increasing endurance, and increasing maximum oxygen uptake during exercise, yoga has been shown in studies to improve aerobic conditioning. When taught pranayama, people could exercise for longer periods of time while using less oxygen, according to one study.
Lowers blood pressure
A study suggests that if you are suffering from hypertension, yoga may be of benefit to you. Two studies in people with hypertension compared the effects of Savasana (Corpse Pose) to simply resting on a sofa. The results were published in the British medical journal The Lancet. After three months, savasana was found to lower systolic blood pressure by 26 points and diastolic blood pressure by 15 points, the greater the starting blood pressure.
Helps to keep your adrenal glands in check
Yoga aids in the reduction of stress hormones like cortisol. Consider this: if you think that’s insignificant, think again. Adrenal glands produce cortisol in response to stress, which boosts the immune system for a short time. After a crisis, high cortisol levels can harm the immune system. Although temporary increases in cortisol are beneficial for short-term memory, long-term effects include memory loss and long-term brain abnormalities. Overproduction of the stress hormone cortisol has also been linked to depression, osteoporosis, high blood pressure, and insulin resistance, all of which can lead to osteoporosis. The “food-seeking behaviour” that makes you eat when you’re unhappy, angry, or worried is caused by high cortisol levels in rats. When the body receives too many calories, it stores them as abdominal fat, increasing weight and the risk of diabetes and heart attack.
It makes you happy
Are you in a foul mood? Lotus, please seat yourself. A backbend or ascent into King Dancer Pose will make your royal presence known. Yoga has been shown to reduce depression by increasing serotonin levels, while decreasing levels of monoamine oxidase (an enzyme responsible for the breakdown of neurotransmitters) and cortisol. It was found that meditators’ left prefrontal brain activity increased, which has been linked to higher levels of happiness and improved immunological function by Richard Davidson, Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin Long-term, dedicated practitioners exhibited more pronounced activation on the left side of the brain.
Creates a healthy lifestyle
Getting more exercise and eating fewer calories is common advice for dieters. It’s possible that yoga can help with both of these problems at once. Practice gets you moving and burning calories on a regular basis. It can help you confront eating or weight issues more deeply because of the spiritual and emotional aspects of practise. Yoga can also help you eat more mindfully because it increases your awareness of what you’re putting in your mouth. One of the many benefits of yoga is that it can be used in a variety of contexts throughout your life.
It lowers blood sugar levels
Practicing yoga raises HDL (“good”) cholesterol while lowering both blood sugar and LDL (“bad” cholesterol), according to research. When it comes to people with diabetes, numerous studies have shown that yoga can help lower their blood sugar levels by reducing stress and adrenaline levels as well as burning more calories while improving insulin sensitivity. Lowering your blood sugar levels can reduce your risk of diabetic complications such as heart attack, kidney failure, and blindness.
Enhances mental clarity and focus
Yoga emphasises the importance of being in the present moment. Consistent yoga practise has been shown in studies to boost cognitive abilities like reaction time, working memory, and even IQ scores. As a result of their less distracting thoughts, people who practise Transcendental Meditation have better problem-solving skills as well as the ability to learn and recall information. See also Getty Images’ 8 Concentration-Inducing Seated Yoga Poses for more ideas.
It aids in body relaxation
You learn how to relax your sympathetic nervous system (or the fight-or-flight response) by practising yoga. This shifts your nervous system’s balance from sympathetic to parasympathetic. Inducing a relaxation response lowers blood pressure, lowers heart rate, increases blood flow to the intestines and reproductive organs, all of which are restorative and relaxing.
Visualizes your body’s healing process
Yoga nidra and other practises like it allow you to alter your physical state by focusing on an imagined scene in your mind. Studies have shown that guided imagery reduces postoperative pain, headache frequency, and improves quality of life in cancer patients and HIV-positive people in several studies.
It improves your sense of balance
Regular yoga practise enhances your balance and awareness of your body’s movements (the capacity to feel what your body is doing and where it is in space). People who have poor posture or dysfunctional movement patterns have been linked to knee and back problems because of poor proprioception. Fewer falls may be the result of improved balance. More independence and possibly delaying or avoiding admission to a nursing home for the elderly are two benefits of this new technology for them.
It maintains the health of your nervous system
Yoga practitioners who have reached a certain level of proficiency can have amazing control over their bodies, much of which is mediated by the nervous system. A meditation technique has been observed by scientists in yogis who can produce strange heart rhythms, generate specific brain-wave patterns, and raise the temperature of their hands by 15 degrees Fahrenheit. To improve blood flow to your pelvic area if you’re having trouble conceiving, or to induce calm if you’re having trouble sleeping, yoga may be helpful.
It helps to relieve stress in your limbs
How about when you’re driving and your hands are clenched around the wheel, or your brow is furrowed while staring at a computer screen? Accidental postures can lead to muscle tension and pain in the hands and arms as well as in the shoulders and neck. This can lead to increased stress and a worsened mental state. Yoga makes you aware of the places in your body where you store stress, whether it’s in your tongue, eyes, or the facial muscles around your chin and neck. If you tune in, you might be able to relieve some of the tension in your tongue and eyelids. Learning to relax larger muscles, such as the quadriceps, trapezius, and buttocks, can take years of practise.
It makes it easier for you to sleep better at night
Overstimulating the neurological system can be harmful, even if it serves a purpose. Modern life’s stressors can be relieved with the help of yoga. Pratyahara (or a turning inward of the senses) allows the nervous system to relax, which is promoted by restorative asana, yoga nidra (guided relaxation), Savasana, pranayama, and meditation. Studies show that regular yoga practise also improves sleep, making you less tired and worried and less likely to be involved in an accident. There are numerous benefits of yoga for those who practise regardless of their physical or mental abilities.
It helps your immune system work more efficiently
Despite the fact that immune function can be improved with asana and pranayama, research shows that meditation has the most scientific support. To put it another way, it appears to be helpful in boosting and reducing immune system activity as needed (for example, in response to an immunisation vaccine) (for instance, mitigating an inappropriately aggressive immune function in an autoimmune disease like psoriasis).
Provides breathing space for your lungs
This breathing technique is both relaxing and effective for yoga practitioners. In a study published in The Lancet in 1998, people with congestive heart failure who had lung problems were taught a yogic technique known as “complete breathing. A month’s worth of monitoring revealed a decrease in their respiratory rate from 13.6 to 7.6 breaths per minute. During this time, their exercise capacity and blood oxygen saturation both increased noticeably as well. There are numerous ways in which yoga improves lung function, including the maximum volume of breath and the efficiency of exhalation. Breathing through the nose while doing yoga helps to clear the airways of allergens like pollen, dirt, and other irritants. It also warms and humidifies the air, preventing asthma attacks caused by cold, dry air.
Helps to prevent IBS and other digestive issues
Stress can exacerbate a number of health conditions, including irritable bowel syndrome, ulcers, and constipation. If you’re less stressed, you’ll have fewer problems. Practicing yoga, like any other physical activity, can help with constipation and possibly lower your risk of developing colon cancer because it gets your body moving. Despite the fact that it has not been scientifically proven, many yoga practitioners believe that the twisting positions used in the practise aid waste removal.
Provides you with peace of mind
Ayurveda, as taught by Patanjali in his Yoga Sutras, helps to calm the mind. By reducing stress-inducing mental loops such as regret, rage, apprehension and desire. Managing your stress can help you live longer and healthier because stress has been linked to a variety of health problems like migraines and insomnia. It has also been linked to autoimmune diseases like lupus and multiple sclerosis.
It boosts your self-confidence
Poor self-esteem is a problem for a lot of people. This can have serious consequences on your physical, mental, and spiritual health if you react badly to it (drugs, overeating, working too hard, sleeping around). With a positive attitude, you can approach yoga with the knowledge that you are valuable or, as yogic philosophy says, that you are a manifestation of the Divine, at first in fleeting glimpses and then more persistently. It’s possible to access a different side of yourself if you practise regularly with the goal of self-examination and improvement rather than just as an aerobics substitute. In addition, you’ll feel a sense of belonging and a sense of gratitude, empathy, and forgiveness. Better health isn’t the goal of spirituality, but studies have shown that it’s often a side effect.
It’s good for your relationships
It’s possible that love will never be able to defeat evil, but it can certainly aid in healing. Emotional support from friends, family, and the community has been proven to help with health and healing on a number of occasions. Practicing yoga on a regular basis can help you cultivate qualities like compassion, friendship, and a sense of calm. As you practise yogic philosophy, you may notice an improvement in many of your personal relationships because it emphasises doing no harm to others while speaking the truth about yourself.
Relieves your discomfort
Yoga has the potential to improve your overall well-being. People with arthritis, back pain, fibromyalgia, carpal tunnel syndrome, and other chronic diseases reported less pain when they practised asanas, meditated, or did both. Pain relief makes you happier and more active, and it reduces your need for medication.
Provides you with inner strength
You can make positive changes in your life with the help of yoga. That very well may be its most valuable asset. The Sanskrit word for “heat,” tapas, refers to the fire that powers yoga practise and the heat that comes from regular practise. In order to change bad habits, the tapas you learn in college can be applied for the rest of your life. You may find that you begin to eat better, exercise more, or even stop smoking after many years of trying without making a conscious effort.
Aids you to stay drug-free
There’s no better time to try yoga if your medicine cabinet looks like a pharmacy. Asthma, high blood pressure, Type II diabetes, and obsessive-compulsive disorder patients who practise yoga have reported reduced or eliminated need for prescription medication. How does taking fewer medications benefit you? You’ll save money, and there’ll be fewer side effects and potentially dangerous drug combinations as a result. (Always consult your doctor before discontinuing or altering any prescribed medications.)
Using noise to soothe your sinuses
Asana, pranayama, and meditation, the three pillars of yoga, work together to improve your health, but there’s more to it than that. Do some chanting if you want to help yourself relax. It alters the sympathetic nervous system’s balance in favour of the parasympathetic nervous system by prolonging the exhalation. When done in a group, chanting can be an especially potent physical and emotional experience. Humming sounds, such as those made when chanting Om, expand the sinuses and help drainage, according to a recent study from Sweden’s Karolinska Institute.
Eliminates the risk of allergic reaction and infection
Kriyas, or cleaning techniques, are another facet of yoga that many people are unaware of. From quick breathing exercises to comprehensive gut cleansing, they’ve got you covered. Nasal lavages such as jala neti remove pollen and viruses from the nose, prevent mucus buildup, and speed up the draining of the sinus cavities.
Assists you in serving others
Yoga philosophy includes an important concept called karma yoga (doing good to others). Helping others even if you don’t want to can have positive effects on your health. A University of Michigan study found that older people who volunteered for less than an hour a week were three times more likely to be alive seven years later.. Serving others can give your life meaning and make your problems seem less daunting when you see what other people are going through.
Promotes self-care
For the most part, people in conventional medicine are treated like objects to be manipulated for their own benefit. In yoga, what matters is how you treat yourself. Yoga gives you the tools to help you change, and you may notice results as soon as your first session. More practise may also make you better at something. Three things happen as a result of this: Taking a more active role in your own care gives you the confidence to make a difference, which in turn gives you hope. And even the hope itself can be therapeutic.
Educates you on various topics
Yoga instructors who are skilled at what they do can have a profound impact on your well-being. Exceptional instructors do more than just show you how to do the poses; they go above and beyond. Your posture may be adjusted, you may be advised when to go deeper in poses or back off, hard truths delivered with compassion, you may be helped to relax, and your practise may be improved or tailored to meet your specific needs. Your health can be improved if you have a good relationship with your teacher.
Supports your connective tissue
As you read about all the ways yoga is good for your health, you’ve probably noticed a lot of similarities. The reason for this is that they’re so intertwined. Your posture has a direct impact on your breathing, so make a change today! Changing your breathing can have an impact on your nervous system. This is an essential yoga lesson: Everything is interconnected, from your hip to your ankle, from your home to the rest of the world. This relationship must be understood in order to practise knowledge yoga. Involving multiple systems at once has additive and even multiplicative effects thanks to this comprehensive system. This synergy may be the most important way that yoga heals.