The positive benefits of Yoga have been praised for thousands of years by devout Yoga practitioners everywhere. But you don’t have to be a hardcore Yogi to reap the benefits and appreciate the beauty of Yoga. By taking some time out to perform a few poses on a regular basis, you will see all sorts of benefits.
Yoga has been around for centuries. There are many branches of Yoga used for different reasons. It can be a bit confusing for someone who isn’t familiar with the terminology. Below are some of the most popular systems of Yoga taught all over the world today:
- Iyengar
- Hatha
- Vinyasa
- Power Yoga
- Ashtanga
- Bikram
How intense your Yoga session are will depend on the type of Yoga workout you are doing. Styles like Iyengar and Hatha are light impact and easy on the body. Other forms such as Bikram and Power Yoga are more of an intense cardio and strength workout.
Psychological Benefits
Aside from the physical benefits, there are plenty of psychological perks as well. There are tons of studies showing the positive effects of Yoga on mental health issues illnesses such as depression and anxiety. Whether you are a senior citizen, pro athlete or young child – there is a Yoga program that will fit you.
Yoga can help you decompress. Many people love it to relieve stress and help improve mood. Regular Yoga practice can help improve your focus, improve memory and help you concentrate. Yoga is great for beginners. Since the poses can be modified for anyone, learning is easy. It’s all about challenging yourself and mastering your own body. After time you may feel that certain poses are too easy. You can always modify them to make things harder.
Physical Benefits
Yoga is focused on aligning the body and the mind. There are many obvious physical benefits that Yoga practitioners experience. Most of the techniques are relaxing and known to relive chronic pain, help manage blood pressure and improve sleep. Some other benefits include:
- Increased Strength and Flexibility
- Improved Blood Circulation
- Weight Loss
- Muscle Toning
- Better Balance
- Improved Posture
- Reduced Risk for Injury
Yoga can be great for building balance, strength and preventing injuries.There are thousands of poses and endless ways to modify them. Each pose has a specific purpose, targeting different parts of the body.
- Core: There are multiple poses that target your core muscles. If you want to tone up your waistline you can try planks. Other poses such as the boat pose are great for exercising your abdominal muscles.
- Back: The purpose of many poses are to bring your spine and neck back into alignment. Yoga is famous for relieving back pain build strength in the back to help prevent injuries.
- Glutes: You can strengthen your glutes which can help with everything from lifting objects to walking.
- Legs: Yoga gives you a strong foundation, which all starts with your legs. You can build strength and flexibility in the ankles, hips, knees and thighs.
- Arms: Some poses will isolate muscles in your upper and lower arms. For example, the downward dog will work your triceps and shoulders.
If you are interesting in low impact exercises, but you don’t want to take a traditional form of Yoga, there are lots of other options. Yoga has been around for so long, that many of the movements and poses have been incorporated into more modern forms of exercise. Any sort of stretching or bodyweight exercises that are safe can benefit you. Remember to always speak with your doctor first before trying out any new exercise.
