Top 5 Health and Wellness Benefits of Yoga

Top 5 Health and Wellness Benefits of Yoga

Improvements Participants In Yoga Classes Can Look Forward To

Created in Northern India over 5,000 years ago, yoga was adopted by Western culture in the late 1800s. It has since become a mainstay in modern American fitness due to its numerous health and wellness benefits. It's one of the few varieties of exercise that is equally focused on the spiritual aspect as well as the physical.

Using a combination of strengthening and stretching poses with meditative breathing, yoga classes build core strength, improve flexibility, and help participants find their sense of inner peace. To provide some additional insight about one of the world’s most historic practices, we’re breaking down the top five health and wellness benefits of yoga.

#1 – Improved Flexibility

Flexibility enables the muscles to work at peak levels, increases blood flow, and can even decrease the risk of injury. Individuals who have full range of motion are better equipped to participate in athletics and engage in daily activities.

Yoga just so happens to be one of the best types of exercise for improving flexibility and decreasing muscle tension. During the typical yoga class, participants will engage in poses that work their shoulders, neck, hips, back, and core muscles.

The beauty of yoga is participants will notice their flexibility improve as they master novice poses, allowing them to take on more challenging poses, such as the bow pose (Dhanurasana).

#2 – Increased Strength

Although yoga is completely different from traditional strength training and weightlifting, yoga classes have proven to be highly beneficial in working muscle groups using the participant’s own body weight.

Rather than focusing on bulking up, yoga is about achieving a toned and lean physique. General yoga classes incorporate an even blend of multiple disciplines, including strength. On the other hand, Ashtanga yoga focuses on muscular development. As participants continue to take classes, they will notice they can hold increasingly difficult poses for longer periods of time.

#3 – Decreased Stress and Anxiety

The difference between yoga and other varieties of physical activity is the mindfulness element. By incorporating meditative breathing and exercises that clear the mind, yoga promotes relaxation and relieves feelings of stress. Yoga classes have proven to be one of the most effective holistic methods of relieving tension and anxiety. In fact, some participants have been able to decrease their reliance on prescription anxiety medications using yoga.

#4 – Burn Calories and Lose Weight

Yoga can also help participants burn calories and achieve healthy weight loss. Of course, combining yoga with a healthy diet and other forms of aerobic exercise will help speed things along. It's also worth noting that hot yoga classes achieve higher levels of caloric burn compared to regular yoga classes due to the higher studio temperatures.

#5 – Get Better Sleep

In general, getting regular exercise promotes getting to sleep quicker and staying asleep throughout the night. However, yoga has unique supplemental sleep benefits, especially for those who suffer from chronic sleep issues.

The meditative controlled breathing that’s used in yoga has a natural effect on the vagus nerve. The vagus nerve has several functions pertaining to internal organ function, heart rate, digestion, and certain reflex functions like coughing and sneezing.

The vagus nerve also directly affects the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for putting the body to rest and prolonged sleep. Essentially, yoga is the holistic version of a sleeping aid. Even novice yoga participants notice they feel more rested and focused after only one or two classes. Further, the natural energy yoga provides allows people to be less reliant on stimulants like coffee and energy drinks.

How to Find More Information About Yoga Classes

Considering the popularity of yoga among people of all ages and ability levels, many people wonder which type of yoga class is right for them and how they should get started. Yoga classes come in many different specialties and styles, which can make finding the right yoga studio feel a bit overwhelming at first.

Hatha yoga, for instance, is slower paced and geared towards those just getting started with yoga. Vinyasa yoga utilizes more challenging poses and is geared towards athletes and advanced yogis.

When searching for yoga studios, it helps immensely to read the studio’s class descriptions to better understand the mindfulness element, poses, and degree of difficulty to expect. There are also several books and online publications that discuss the history and spiritual benefits of yoga. You will want to feel prepared before you attend your first class, but nothing compares to the conversations and instruction you’ll receive at a well-taught yoga class.