You may have already heard that yoga is good for your health. You may have tried it yourself and found that it makes you feel better. Consistent practice offers a range of benefits for mental and physical health. Some are obvious, like improved flexibility.
Others, such as mental clarity and stress reduction, can be more subtle but just as powerful. When taken together, the benefits of yoga contribute to an increased sense of well-being, which helps explain why so many people are addicted to yoga. Here are the main benefits of yoga and some asanas to try to help you get the most out of your practice.
Improves flexibility
A 2016 study published in the International Journal of Yoga evaluated the effects of practicing yoga on male college athletes. Over the course of the 10-week study, the researchers noted significant gains in flexibility and balance in the yoga group compared to the non-yoga group. The study authors concluded that practicing yoga can improve athletic performance and increase flexibility in athletes.
As you age, your flexibility often decreases, especially if you spend a long time sitting, which leads to pain and a lack of movement. Yoga can help reverse this process. A 2015 Chinese study found that 12 weeks of Hatha yoga improved flexibility in adults with an average age of 50. The practice also increased cardiorespiratory and muscular endurance, as well as physical strength.
Positions to try:
The Reclining Big Toe Pose (Supta Pandangusthasana) provides stretch for the hamstrings and calves and can be adjusted with a yoga strap to gradually increase flexibility.
The needle-eye position (also called the reclining bath position) increases flexibility and range of motion in the hips and provides gentle stretching of the iliac band (IT) and piriformis.
Eagle pose (Garudasana) is a balancing pose that increases flexibility in the shoulders while working the legs, fibres, and adductors.
Many yoga poses require supporting your body weight in new and often challenging ways, such as balancing on one leg or supporting yourself with your arms. Holding these poses over several breaths helps build muscle strength and endurance.
As a result of your increased strength, you can expect to increase muscle strength. 1 Yoga helps shape the long and lean muscles in the legs, arms, back and abdomen.
Positions to try:
Downward facing dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana) strengthens and lengthens the hamstrings, calves, and ankles while strengthening the upper body at the shoulders, hands, and wrists.
Tree Pose (Vrksasana) strengthens and stretches your legs while testing your balance. The supporting muscles and ligaments of the foot are also strengthened.
The chair pose (Utkatasana) strengthens the lower body and abdominal muscles while stretching your upper back.
Plank poses is a popular exercise used in various styles of fitness that targets the upper body and core while strengthening the hands, wrists, and muscles in the back of the body (back chain).
What are the most popular types of yoga?
Improve Balance
Balance training is important at any age. Athletes find that it can make them stronger2 and activists find that it can improve their training and fitness level. Balance training improves posture and functionality to help you move more efficiently in everyday life.
Exercises that strengthen and stabilize the core can enhance agility and prevent trips and falls. 5 Improved balance is one of the most important benefits of yoga, especially as we age.6 Postures that require standing on one leg, and for more advanced practitioners, turning them upside down in reverse can be a great way to build core strength to keep them upright.
Begs to try
Chair pose (Utkatasana) - When you reach the back of the seat with your arms forward over your head, core engagement is critical to stabilizing this position.
Half Moon Pose (Ardha Chandrasana) tests your balance while strengthening your core. This movement also strengthens the ankles and thighs and lengthens the hamstrings.
Supports joint Health
The movements required for low-impact yoga allow you to use your joints without injuring them. Yoga also helps to strengthen the muscles around the joints, thus reducing their load. People with arthritis often notice significant improvement in their pain and mobility with regular gentle yoga practice.
Positions to try:
Bridge pose (Setu Bandha Sarvangasana) moves the spine and promotes hip stability.
Mountain Pose (Tadasana) supports the ankles and knees while improving posture.
Child's pose (Balasana) moves the spine and increases range of motion in the knee and ankle joints
The crescent lunge (Anjaneyasana) mobilizes the spine and hips and stabilizes the knee joints.
Relieves and prevents back pain
Increasing flexibility and strength can help prevent the causes of some types of back pain. Many people with back pain spend too much time sitting in front of a computer or driving a car, which causes tension throughout the body and puts pressure on the spine. Yoga counteracts these conditions, with studies showing that the practice can help relieve common symptoms of back pain.
Begs to try
Cat and Cow Pose (Chakravakasana) - Both cat and cow poses stretch and strengthen the spine as it moves through flexion and extension, which can help reduce pressure in the lower back.
Spinal posture (also called Half Lord of the Fishes Pose or Ardha Matsyendrasana) involves rotation of the spine to support movement in the spine, especially in the neck (cervical spine).
The cobra pose (Bhujangasana) increases the mobility of the spine by moving it through the extension of the spine.
What do you expect from a hatha yoga class?
He knows how to breathe better
Most of us breathe shallowly and don't think much about how to breathe. The breathing exercises in yoga, called pranayama, focus our attention on breathing and teach us to breathe more deeply, which benefits the whole body.
The breathing work of yoga can have both physical and mental benefits both on and off the mat. Certain types of pranayama such as Skull Shining Breath (Kapalabhati Pranayama) can also help clear the nasal passages (good for allergy sufferers) and Ujjayi breathing can help calm the nervous system.
Three-part breathing (Dirga Pranayama) is a soothing and basic exercise that uses your breath to focus your attention on the present moment and tune into the sensations in your body.
Even breathing (Sama Vritti Pranayama) promotes calmness and focus by counting 4-6 breaths per inhale, followed by 4-6 breaths per exhale to maintain your attention.
Cold Breathing (Sitali Pranayama) Long, slow, and deep breathing is used to calm and cool the body by inhaling air with a coiled tongue or tied lips.
Promotes mental calm
Practicing yoga asanas intensely. Focusing on what your body is doing has the effect of calming your mind. Yoga also introduces you to meditation techniques, such as how to focus on your breath and separate your thoughts.
Scientific research supports the mental benefits of yoga. For example, research published in 2018 in the International Journal of Preventive Medicine found that 12 weeks of Hatha yoga significantly reduced stress, anxiety, and depression in all 52 women who participated in the study.
Additionally, a growing body of evidence shows the benefits of practicing yoga for people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). A 2014 study found that yoga can help traumatized people withstand any physical and sensory experiences associated with trauma. Fear and anxiety. Impotence The researchers determined that yoga helps increase the emotional awareness that has been linked to their ability to control their symptoms.
Begs to try
The triangle pose (Utthita Trikonasana) stretches the hamstrings, groin, and hips while strengthening the legs. Opening the chest and shoulders helps calm you while testing your balance, stability, and maintaining your focus.
Pigeon Pose (Eka Pada Rajakapotasana) provides a deep opening to the hips while calming the nervous system as you lean forward.
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