Health Benefits of Yoga
Most people who do yoga regularly would agree that we always feel better after we've been to class.
You might even start to notice a difference after your very first class.
Did you know that there are some proven health benefits from regular yoga practice?
Multiple studies have concluded that yoga can help to reduce stress and lower your levels of cortisol (the body’s main stress hormone).
Studies have also shown that yoga can reduce depression because reduced cortisol in turn helps to bring down levels of serotonin (a neurotransmitter associated with depression) in the brain.
Scientific studies have found that regular yoga practice can help reduce joint pain and improve flexibility and function in people with arthritis. Yoga increases the range of motion you have in your joints and the muscles you develop through your practice will in turn support your body and relieve stress on your joints.
Yoga (and other movement) also helps to keep your joints hydrated with synovial fluid which provides lubrication so that your bones do not rub on each other.
Yoga has been shown to improve blood circulation and to lower blood pressure. Clinical trials have shown promising results indicating that yoga may help to lower total cholesterol levels.
Yogic breathing practices and meditation are also beneficial and invoke our parasympathetic nervous system (rest and digest) which can help us to relax, and in turn lower blood pressure.
Weight-bearing and muscle-strengthening exercise are very important for building, maintaining and improving bone density and helping to prevent osteoporosis.
A full yoga practice will work all the major muscle groups in the body (core, arms, legs, back) and we spend a lot of time supporting our own bodyweight in standing postures, balances and inversions. This is all really beneficial to keeping your bones strong and healthy.
Yoga helps to improve your balance, strength and stability which in turn reduces the risk of falling.
Particularly as we get older, falling presents many risks including broken bones, infection, inflammation and death.
Inflammation is natural part of the body’s immune response and is essential to heal wounds, injuries, and infections, but chronic (long term) inflammation is not a good thing for the body.
Recent clinical research trials where participants regularly practiced yoga poses found that the practice can strengthen the immune system and reduce chronic inflammation.
Top sports people and teams now incorporate yoga into their training regimes because of the proven benefits for strength, core strength, flexibility and balance and the potential to stay at the top of your game for longer.
Many famous sportspeople credit yoga with helping them to stay at the top of their game for longer than their contemporaries.
When you practice regularly in the company of others you will feel connected to other, likeminded people.
Many yoga studios and classes connect you with a friendly community and this can ease feelings of loneliness and isolation.
Many studies have found a positive link between yoga practice and better quality sleep patterns for people of all ages.