Making time for yoga is the best thing you can do for yourself. Yoga provides an intriguing way to get some exercise and help with your mental health. This post highlights the top 8 health benefits of practicing yoga.
1. Lowers Blood Pressure
Yoga lowers blood pressure by relaxing the muscles in your body and reducing stress. It is an intriguing way to get rid of anxiety and depression and improve your mood. A Journal of Alternative Complementary Medicine Study found that yoga lowered blood pressure in healthy individuals and those with pre-hypertension or hypertension. Another study found that practicing yoga for four weeks reduced blood pressure in those with high blood pressure much more than the control group who did not practice yoga, though they were still happy with their results.
2. Decreases Stress and Anxiety Levels
Many people experience increased stress and anxiety as they live their day-to-day lives, significantly since the economy has slowed down and jobs are scarcer. Yoga can help with this because it makes you focus on yourself differently than you usually would. It allows you to feel more peace and tranquility, which helps you learn to overcome your negativity and allows your body to relax, which helps with your stress levels immensely.
3. Helps with Weight Loss
Believe it or not, yoga helps with weight loss! This is because it allows you to focus on breathing, which helps your muscles relax, increasing your metabolism. That is evident in a research study conducted by the North East India College of Natural Medicine that found that practicing yoga increased the metabolism in participants by 6%. Yoga also helps you to build muscle tone as well as improve flexibility. It makes you feel stronger and more confident, increasing your motivation to lose weight or maintain healthy body weight.
4. Improves Mental Health
Many people experience anxiety and depression because of the stress in their lives. Yoga helps you feel more at peace, and it makes you focus on yourself in a different way than you usually do. It is also an appropriate way to connect with your body. You can better understand how your body works and become more self-aware of your emotions when practicing yoga. Many people agree that yoga has helped them overcome negative thought patterns and improve their overall self-esteem because of this practice. That can help with depression, anxiety, headaches, and even insomnia.
5. Improves Brain Function
Yoga can improve the function of your brain. According to a research study conducted by Palm Beach Atlantic University, that is more evident in people who are already mentally challenged because the practice helps focus their attention for an extended period, which can improve cognitive stimulation. Yoga also helps with symptoms of Attention Deficit Disorder such as stress, depression, anxiety, and hyperactivity. It makes you feel better overall, both physically and mentally, decreasing ADHD-like symptoms. Also, yoga has been shown to increase serotonin production in the brain, making you feel good and reducing depression and anxiety. Want to learn more? Here is an excellent article on how practicing yoga improves brain function.
6. Reduces the Risk of Heart Disease and Stroke
Heart disease is a massive problem in the United States and worldwide. Yoga has been shown to reduce cholesterol levels which helps to lower your risk of heart disease. That is because practicing yoga makes you move more, increasing your heart rate and blood pressure. It also brings blood flow to all parts of your body, including your heart which is great for those who already have a high risk of a stroke or other cardiovascular problems because it allows them to receive oxygen much easier.
7. Helps Improve Body Composition
Yoga improves body composition because it provides a good balance between muscle and fat. It can help build muscle and increase muscle tone while making it easier to lose weight. It helps you burn fat through a process known as thermogenesis. Researchers have demonstrated that yoga can help with weight loss in obese individuals because it allows them to build muscle mass and boost their metabolism, according to research conducted by Brazil’s Federal University of Rio de Janeiro.
8. Improves Immune System Function
According to research conducted by the Uster Philosophical Institute, yoga improves immune system function by boosting the production of white blood cells. It also makes you feel better overall which can help you fight off disease and illness. Yoga reduces stress which helps to increase your immunity in general and makes it easier for your body’s immune system to fight off germs that could cause an illness or a cold.
Practicing yoga might not seem like a radical idea, but it can change your life. Yoga offers a fantastic range of benefits that extend beyond the physical and mental wellness benefits to tackle all aspects of health.
