Top 10 Health Benefits of Yoga

Yoga appeared in India between 2000 and 3000 BC. This is evidenced by ancient written monuments of the Indian culture – the Vedas. The modern yoga has multiple various styles and types, the purpose of which is basically the same: to create awareness, strength, and harmony in both body and soul.

Nowadays this encompassing art form is practiced by millions of people all over the world and offers benefits to people of both genders and all ages. In this article, we would like to tell you about 10 main benefits of yoga that will probably change your perception of this oriental practice and will allow you to see in it something more than just another physical activity.

Watch video: How Yoga improves health

Just in case, if you prefer watching more than reading, the video below includes all the information from this article.

Increased flexibility

women doing exercises
Image credit: StockSnap / Pixabay. Yoga exercises increase body flexibility

Those people, who practice yoga regularly, notice that the flexibility of their joints is increased and improved.

In the beginning, it might be uncomfortable and even painful to sit in certain yoga positions, however, with the passage of some time, the body starts to adapt and joint pain disappears.

As a result, a person can boast of excellent flexibility and good posture.

Building muscles

Advanced Yoga pose
Image credit: YogawithAmit / Pixabay. It is also an effective way for muscle building.

Sitting in uncomfortable and abnormal positions causes the muscle stress and tension, which allows them to become more functional and stronger.

Therefore, if you start practicing yoga, you will notice soon that you are getting quite strong but not a bulky muscular system.

Strong muscles are very important since they help to maintain flexibility, balance and a good posture.

 

Improving posture

Woman exercising Yoga
Image credit: HannahWells / Pixabay. Doing regular exercises improves posture

As it has been mentioned already above, improved posture is a result of regular yoga practice. Improved posture is important for overall health and the health of the back particularly.

In the body with a good posture, a vital energy flows better and more freely, which contributes to greater well-being and the higher energy level in general.

Healthy spine

Woman doing pose that requires flexibility on the beach
Image credit: StockSnap / Pixabay. It helps to keep your spine flexible and healthy.

Another significant benefit of yoga is the healthy spine, which is especially important for modern people who used to sit hunched over their working desks in offices for the whole day.

As a result, many of us suffer from constant back and neck pains. Fortunately, yoga can help to solve these health issues by making spine much healthier eliminating such problems as scoliosis, herniated disks and other spine problems.

Stronger bones

Woman doing Warrior pose
Image credit: jesslef / Pixabay. Warrior pose and other exercises make your bones stronger.

There are many effective exercises in yoga that help to strengthen bones and prevent them from thinning. It is very important for people, who have a predisposition to osteoporosis – a disease that is characterized by weak bone structure and often leads to fractures.

This is particularly beneficial for the elderly, whose bone structure with age becomes weaker.

Better blood circulation

Girls doing Yoga at fitness class
Image credit: marymccraft / Pixabay. It helps to maintain healthy blood circulation through the body.

Many people today suffer from poor blood flow that is caused by different modern factors, including sitting at a desk for the whole day, increased cholesterol level, blood pressure issues, diabetes and some others.

A person with poor circulation might suffer from numbness, swelling, breakouts, muscle cramps, and etc. Being an active practice yoga helps to increase and improve circulation by bringing blood to all organs and systems.

Training for heart

Girls at fitness studio doing exercises.
Image credit: shushipu / Pixabay. It helps to maintain a healthy heart.

Even though at first sight yoga seems to be a very relaxing practice, in reality, some yoga exercises are very demanding, which leads to increasing of heart rate.

Doing such exercises regularly makes the heart stronger and healthier, and improves the blood circulation. As a result, a risk of getting heart diseases with age is reduced, which increases life expectancy and improves the quality of life in general. Moreover, it has been proven that yoga exercises make muscles more sensitive to insulin – a hormone that is responsible for controlling the sugar level in blood.

Decreasing blood pressure

Meditating
Image credit: avi_acl / Pixabay. It comes close to meditation and helps balance blood pressure.

Thousands of people today suffer from a high blood pressure that might become a reason for strokes and heart attacks – often fatal health problems. In order to reduce the risk of them, doctors recommend such patients to try yoga.

Regular yoga exercises help to open blood vessels and pass the blood through. However, it is important to note that not all types of yoga are suitable for controlling the blood pressure, and it is recommended first to consult your doctor and yoga therapist.

Prevention of joint problems

Man doing advanced Yoga pose.
Image credit: YogawithAmit / Pixabay. It helps to prevent joint problems.

Since yoga practice usually means sitting in uncomfortable positions, the joints of the body become stressed to the limit.

This might be painful in the beginning, however with time the joint tissues get better flexibility and laxity. Therefore, people doing yoga exercises regularly do not suffer from such problems as joint pain or arthritis.

Contribution to spiritual and emotional health

Women doing Lotus pose
Image credit: terimakasih0 / Pixabay. It helps to maintain and increase spiritual health.

Besides all the physical benefits mentioned and described above, yoga is a perfect practice for reaching emotional and spiritual harmony.

People, who do yoga regularly and for an extended period of time, admit that they feel more relaxed, happy, self-confident and content. In addition, they experience less stress in daily life and do not suffer from various sleep disorders. Yoga helps them to reduce anxiety and decrease the possibility of depression.

Watch video about yoga for complete beginners

Are you interested in to try Yoga now? Watch the video below about the basic exercises. You can try these right now.

The Top-10 List of Ways Yoga Improves Health

  1. Increased flexibility
  2. Building muscles
  3. Improving posture
  4. Healthy spine
  5. Stronger bones
  6. Better blood circulation
  7. Training for heart
  8. Decreasing blood pressure
  9. Prevention of joint problems
  10. Contribution to spiritual and emotional health

Read more about healthy lifestyle or find other amazing & fun facts from the front page. Cover photo image credit: egorshitikov / Pixabay

Have you ever tried Yoga or are you interested in trying it? Share your experiences, questions, and comments below.

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