While most people want to exercise more and live healthier lives, finding the time and energy can be difficult. Especially when facing the sometimes-punishing workouts of a gym or the demands that running and other cardiovascular activities can put on one’s body.
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For many, yoga has become the exercise preference of choice. The practice has been around for more than 5,000 years, with the word “yoga” being derived from the Sanskrit word “yuj” – meaning the unification of one’s body, mind and emotions.
“The benefits of yoga are far-reaching and have been shown to impact both physical health outcomes and mental health outcomes,” says Maren Nyer, PhD, the director of Yoga Studies at Massachusetts General Hospital and an assistant professor of psychology at Harvard Medical School.
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What are the benefits of yoga?
Such benefits are numerous and include stress relief, increased flexibility, improved balance, connection to a health-minded community, higher levels of energy and boosted heart health. “Because yoga relaxes you, it can also result in better sleep, which means more energy and brighter moods,” adds Brett Larkin, a certified yoga instructor and founder of Uplifted Yoga.
In terms of other physical health benefits, yoga has also “been shown to help alleviate suffering from inflammation in chronic inflammatory disorders and a variety of physical conditions including arthritis, sleep, cancer, Parkinson’s disease and high blood pressure,” says Nyer.
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Does yoga shape your body?
The practice can also make a noticeable difference in one’s physical fitness and shape. For instance, yoga’s slow movements and deep breathing have been shown to increase blood flow to warm up and strengthen muscles. Various poses target the musculoskeletal system, further helping with tone and core strengthening. Holding yoga poses can also increase physical stamina and the growth of targeted muscle groups.
Does yoga help you lose weight?
In addition to such strengthening and toning advantages, research shows that yoga can also help one lose weight. The practice has been shown to burn calories; though the number of which varies greatly depending on the type of yoga one is doing, the intensity of the workout and the gender of the participant. For example, one study found that men burned an average of 460 calories and women 330 calories when engaged in the same session of Bikram yoga – also known as “hot yoga.”
Frequent engagement in any activity that burns calories can help one shed pounds.
What does yoga do for your mental health?
Beyond such physical benefits, yoga can also improve one’s mental health and has been shown to reduce “symptoms of depression, anxiety, and PTSD,” says Nyer.
It’s also a great way to relieve stress, anxiety and depression. “Yoga soothes and recalibrates your nervous system by extending and enhancing the quality of your inhalations and exhalations,” explains Larkin. “This serves to balance your nervous system – not just to relax you, but to teach your body how to better respond to life’s stressors.”
