Yoga is for everyone regardless of age, fitness level, flexibility, strength, or weight. But what’s even better though, is it is considered to be the best all-in-one exercise that ticks every box for those who simply want a bigger impact on their long-term health and wellbeing.
Yoga involves a combination of cardio and flexibility, meditation and mindfulness.
A daily practice of yoga will bring you lots of different health benefits apart from keeping fit and relaxed. Here's a list of the lesser-known benefits which you may enjoy if you make yoga your daily routine:
1. Stronger Immune System
One of the most significant health benefits of yoga is that your immune system will improve and get stronger. But, how can yoga lead to better immunity? Yoga helps to reduce your blood pressure, calm your heart rate, and relax the muscles that are involved in this active process. It also helps you to relax and eliminate or reduce stress. This is also important for the immune system because stress can negatively influence immune cells.
2. Protect from Injuries
Doing any fitness activity or sport puts you at a higher risk of getting an injury. But, yoga doesn't fall under this umbrella. On the contrary, yoga allows you to develop an even deeper relationship and understanding of your body. And, once you get to know your body fully and identify your limits, you can modify any yoga pose to suit your body type and as a result, avoid injuries. It also helps you to strengthen weaker areas within the body.
3. Focus on the Present
Yoga naturally includes a form of meditation. And, just like meditation, it makes you focus on the present and distance yourself from the past or the future. By doing so, yoga as a form of exercise plays a large role in developing peace and happiness since it doesn't really allow you to dwell on the past. So, by focusing on the present moment, you will get rid of all your negative and depressing thoughts.
4. Eat and Sleep Better
As we all know, eating well and sleeping well is one of the most crucial factors that affect our quality of life and health. What you may not know is that yoga helps to improve your diet and sleep. How? - With all the stretching out, relaxing, and slowing down your breathing, you boost your digestion and increase your serotonin levels which are both imperative for quality sleep and excellent food choices.
5. Improve Your Social Life
Yoga is considered quite a favorite exercise routine which means that many people are practicing it. In fact, it has become one of the world's most popular forms of exercise. With this in mind, its popularity can also help you improve your social life and meet new friends. You will meet new people by merely joining a yoga class, but the opportunity of socializing doesn't end there. Yoga is also a popular conversation topic so you can use it to break the ice.
6. Relieve Arthritis Symptoms
Suffering from Arthritis or chronic pain? One amazing benefit of yoga is that it relieves pain in the body. Yoga is a very gentle and minimal weight-bearing exercise involving low-impact movements of the joints. So, it is no surprise that people who suffer from arthritis or chronic pain may benefit from it. It includes the ideal amount of movement which helps to relieve stiffness and pain.
7. Relieve a Hangover
If you had one too many the night before, doing yoga in the morning is a great way to cure your hangover. An early yoga session will help you get rid of the toxins in your body through a gentle sweat out. Even just a light or gentle yoga session will increase the amount of blood flow to your brain and as a result, help you relieve that hangover headache.
8. Ideal Pregnancy Workout
Last but not least, unlike most of the exercises, workouts, and sports which aren't suitable for pregnant women, yoga is actually recommended. Being an adjustable workout that enables you to modify your poses according to you and your body, this makes yoga the perfect pregnancy workout. But, that's not all! You can actually relieve labor pains thanks to yoga breathing techniques.
So, now that you know all of the amazing benefits yoga can bring along, it's the perfect time to join a yoga class and get started! My favorite yoga app is Down Dog.