Yoga is recommended to people of all ages as it offers many physical and mental health benefits. It has been followed around since ages. Yoga includes meditation, chanting mantra, prayer, breath work etc.
It is incredibly beneficial to your overall well-being. It is unique in its own way, as it combines the mindful benefits of meditation with physical poses, called as asanas.
The asanas help to relax your mind and body by strengthening and aligning your muscles and bones.
Let’s look at the benefits of yoga-
- Improves flexibility
- Promotes balance
- Better sleep
- Better heart health
- Relief from back pain
- Improves self-esteem
1. Improves flexibility- Flexibility is the ability to bend easily or without breaking. Yoga helps in enhancing your flexibility by helping your muscles relax by way of gentle stretching. Better flexibility lowers the risk of injury. Slow movements and deep breathing increases blood flow, warms up your muscle which builds strength.
2. Promotes balance- Studies have shown that yoga can improve balance and overall performance in athletes. Yoga asanas such as tree, chair and eagle pose challenges your stability and helps you to activate certain stabilizing muscles. It improves your posture and functionality.
3. Better sleep- Research has shown that adding yoga to your daily routine can help you get in the right mindset and prepares your body to fall asleep and stay asleep. This is in turn is the after effect of exercise and stress relief provided by yoga. It gives you a quality sleep. If you have problem in sleeping you can try these asanas- happy baby pose, reclined goddess pose, legs up the wall pose.
4. Better heart health- Regular yoga practice reduces stress levels and body-wide inflammation which leads to better heart health. It also increases circulation and blood flow in your body. Research has also shown that yogic breathing may influence the brain’s cardio respiratory center to improve its functioning.
5. Relief from back pain- Yoga is advised to people suffering from chronic low back pain. It improves your posture, which may prevent low back pain. Some of the asanas of yoga- cat cow pose, seated spinal twist, and cobra pose help in building core strength and stability.
6. Improves self-esteem- Yoga improves your mind connection with your body, which increases awareness towards your body. It helps you explore different side of yourself and also help you take a positive approach in life. It improves your self-esteem and perceived body image.
