The Top 5 Benefits Of Yoga
Yoga is an ancient practice that involves physical poses, concentration, and deep breathing. There are both yin and yang yoga classes, both being different and beneficial in their own ways. The names are self explanatory, yin yoga being a slower practise focusing on increasing flexibility in the joints rather than the muscles. Yang yoga is the more commonly practised yoga or "hatha" yoga, where you will do things in a "flow" and be constantly moving through different poses in a sequence, or what is called a vinyasa, not holding them for quite as long as you would in yin yoga. This is why in yin yoga you don't see the warrior poses, head stands, etc.. things that make us use our muscular strength.
Whether you have tried yoga before or not, the time to start is now. Yoga is a practise that can be done by all fitness levels, and will benefit in many more ways than just the top 5 listed below. I was torn for the last one between core strength and joint strength, both being very important. The variety of poses and unilateral work helps improve our joint health especially if you have had an injury. Rebuilding the strength afterwards is always tough, but the nice thing about yoga is it's all done with.your own body weight! Here are the top 5 benefits of doing yoga and how it can benefit your quality of life:
1 - Improved Flexibility
Increased range of motion is important for reducing our risk of injury. When your muscles are tight, they can be damaged much easier and can make everyday activities difficult.
2 - Improved Posture
Having improved posture is also important for reducing our risk of injury. When we have rounded shoulders it causes our muscles in the front to be tightened, especially in the neck and shoulders. Yoga can also reduce tension headaches caused by high stress and tight muscles in these areas.
3 - Reduced Stress & Anxiety, Improves Mental Health and Wellbeing
Long term stress can lead to health problems. Preventing and managing that stress can lower your risk of other conditions as well including: heart disease, obesity, high blood pressure, anxiety and depression. Yoga helps improve our mood and helps us take a few moments to stop and smell the roses!
4 - Can Reduce Lower Back Pain/Tightness
Exercises that both strengthen and stretch your body help the most, which is exactly what yoga does. Lower back pain is extremely common, especially for those who work a desk job or sit throughout most of the day. Doing yoga stretches those muscles but also strengthens our core, which will help prevent lower back pain. Most low back pain is caused by sitting with pour posture or having a weak core, putting more tension on our lower back muscles. When we we are hunched over those lower back muscles get permanently lengthened and can be injured easily, hence why they are in pain.
5 - Increased Core Strength
When you have a stronger core, you have a stronger everything. Like we just said with our posture, our lower back takes the stress of sitting with pour posture. Having increased core strength will allow you to not only sit properly, but perform day-to-day activities better too!