You may have seen family members or friends try out yoga to help improve their health and wonder how that happens. Well, this article aims to bring to light some of the physical and mental benefits of practicing yoga. Yoga primarily works to build your strength, awareness, and harmony with everything around you. There are many types of yoga that you can try that incorporate different benefits.
Practicing yoga can benefit both your body and mind in ways you never thought possible especially as it doesn’t require that you put much effort into it. Check out these 6 evidence-based benefits of practicing yoga.
Can Improve Heart Health
The heart performs many functions that run the body. Pumping blood throughout your body is the most critical one. Aside from that, the heart also supplies the body tissues with important nutrients necessary for optimal body functions. These functions should be enough to make you want to ensure your heart functions properly. Yoga can help with that by improving your overall heart health. Thus, reducing the chances of you contracting health issues like heart disease and high blood pressure. Yoga can help slow the progression of these heart issues and keep the blood pumping better for a lot longer.
Decreases Stress
Yoga can significantly decrease your stress levels and help you relax more. It works to decrease the secretion of cortisol in the body. Cortisol is a stress hormone. A decreased level of cortisol can also mean the reduced levels of anxiety, fatigue, and even depression which can all lead to stress if left unchecked. Yoga can be particularly effective when used with other stress relieving remedies and treatments like meditation. It helps to improve your mental health and overall quality of life.
Fight Depression
Yoga can help to fight depression as well. It is even more effective when coupled with other traditional depression treatment methods like meditation. Studies show that yoga has anti-depressant effects which help to fight depression symptoms. Various studies already link practicing yoga to decreased symptoms of depression.
Natural Pain Reliever
Further studies on the health benefits of yoga show that it can also help to eliminate or reduce pain in the body. The mechanism of this is, however, still unknown. But even so, many people who practice yoga have admitted to its power of alleviating their joint and body pains. Practicing yoga every morning can even help make this benefit last for longer throughout the day.
Promote Sleep
Incorporating yoga into your routine can help promote better sleep. You will fall asleep a lot faster, sleep for longer, and wake up in the morning feeling well-rested. It helps to reduce sleep disturbances and improve your overall sleep quality and duration. You will no longer need sleep medications to get a good night’s sleep while practicing yoga.
Improve Breathing
Most yoga sessions focus on controlling your breath to become more relaxed. Yogic breathing can help improve your breathing can lung functions. It is especially beneficial to patients who have mild-to-moderate asthma. You can also build endurance and optimize strenuous performances that require you use your lungs and heart more.
There are so many types of yoga that have specific purposes and benefits. The best part about it is that anyone can practice it. It doesn’t matter whether you are a couch potato or an athlete. There are modifications that every yoga pose has and that makes it perfect for everyone. It is a great way of tuning your body with your inner self.