There are currently more than 36 million yoga practitioners in the United States. Are you interested in becoming one of them?
Just about everyone has heard of yoga at some point in their lives, but there’s a lot of misinformation being circulated about it. In fact, some people even question whether or not there are any health benefits associated with a regular yoga practice.
If you’ve been wondering, “is yoga good for you?” you’ve come to the right place. Read on to learn about nine great benefits you’ll experience from taking up a consistent yoga practice.
What is Yoga?
Most people think of yoga purely as a form of exercise. While it’s true that yoga can be a great workout, there’s more to it than that. Before getting into the specific benefits of yoga, it’s important to go over what yoga is.
Yoga is a mind-body discipline. It involves a combination of physical poses (asanas), breathing exercises, and meditative practices, and the end goal is to help practitioners become healthier, happier, more enlightened versions of themselves.
There are several different styles of yoga, including the following:
- Ashtanga yoga
- Bikram yoga
- Hatha yoga
- Jivamukti yoga
- Iyengar yoga
- Kripalu yoga
- Kundalini yoga
- Power yoga
- Sivananda
- Yin yoga
- Viniyoga
- Restorative yoga
- Prenatal yoga
With so many different yoga styles out there, there’s something for everyone.
Is Yoga Good for You? The Top Nine Benefits of Yoga
In short, yes, yoga is good for you. But, how good is it? Listed below are the top nine benefits of making yoga a regular part of your routine.
1. Improved Flexibility
One of the most obvious physical benefits of yoga is the fact that it can help you improve your flexibility. These days, most people spend very little, if any, time stretching.
By dedicating just an hour or two a week to loosening up tight muscles, you’ll likely notice a significant increase in your overall flexibility. This, in turn, can help minimize aches and pains and improve overall alignment.
2. Reduced Inflammation
Yoga also appears to be very beneficial for people who need help minimizing inflammation.
Many people with autoimmune diseases or other pro-inflammatory diseases (heart disease, cancer, diabetes, etc.) have experienced a decrease in inflammatory blood markers when they practice yoga on a regular basis.
This decrease in inflammation likely has to do with yoga’s ability to improve blood flow and minimize the production of stress hormones.
3. Improved Heart Health
High blood pressure is a major contributor to a variety of heart problems, including heart attacks and strokes.
Research shows that people who practice yoga regularly are more likely to have lower blood pressure and pulse rates than people who don’t.
Yoga can help people with high blood pressure relax and manage their stress levels more appropriately. This, in turn, can help reduce blood pressure, especially when it’s combined with a healthy diet and other healthy lifestyle modifications.
4. Reduced Stress
Yoga doesn’t just offer stress-relieving benefits to individuals who have high blood pressure. Anyone who has a high-stress lifestyle can benefit from a regular yoga practice.
Yoga helps relieve stress by increasing the production of important neurotransmitters like dopamine, oxytocin, and serotonin. These chemical messengers play an important role in mood management and feelings of contentment.
Yoga also reduces levels of stress-causing chemicals like cortisol.
5. Reduced Anxiety
Yoga can help with everyday stress, but it can also be a very beneficial practice for individuals who struggle with anxiety disorders.
There’s quite a bit of evidence that suggests yoga is good for anxiety relief. One study showed that women who participated in two yoga classes per week for two months experienced a significant reduction in their anxiety.
Another study followed 64 women who suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder.
After ten weeks of a consistent yoga practice, the majority of these women experienced fewer PTSD symptoms. More than half of them (52 percent) no longer met the criteria for PTSD at all.
6. Relieved Migraines
Approximately one out of every seven Americans struggle with migraines each year. Many people find that yoga can be very beneficial for treating migraines when it’s combined with other medications and other treatment methods.
Yoga helps migraine-sufferers experience fewer migraines. And, the migraines that did occur were less severe.
It’s not clear exactly why yoga helps people with migraines. But, some researchers believe that yoga is effective because certain yoga poses help to stimulate the vagus nerve. Vagus nerve stimulation treatments have been shown, in some cases, to help treat migraines.
7. Increased Strength
Yoga is great for increasing flexibility, but it can also help practitioners increase their strength and muscle mass.
Many of the most popular yoga poses (chair poses, the warrior poses, and chaturanga, for example) are weight-bearing exercises that require a lot of muscle engagement.
Yoga is also a great option for building strength because it challenges the muscles without putting too much strain on them.
8. Improved Posture
These days, most people hunch over a computer or walk around staring at their phones. This leads to a lot of slouching and posture issues.
Poor posture, over time, can lead to a variety of issues, including headaches, neck pain, and other issues.
If your posture could use a little work, taking up yoga can help you straighten out your spine and eliminate excessive pressure being placed on your neck and spine.
9. Improved Sleep Quality
Finally, yoga can also help you enjoy better sleep. Yoga may improve sleep quality because it helps promote relaxation, relieve anxiety, and reduce stress.
Some studies have also shown that yoga can increase the body’s secretion of melatonin. Melatonin is a hormone that regulates the body’s sleep and wakefulness cycles.
Looking for More Health and Fitness Tips?
You now have a pretty clear answer to the question, “Is yoga good for you?”
But, are you interested in learning more about what you can do to improve your health and fitness?
If so, be sure to check out the self-improvement section of our website. It’s full of helpful articles. Start by reading this article on the physical and mental health benefits of mindfulness.