Understanding Yoga Benefits
Although, started in India over 5,000 years,
yoga is ideal for any person.
Of major importance are the benefits
that come with it.
If you have been skeptical of joining yoga,
here are some benefits that might
motivate you to join it.
The benefits are mental, physical and biochemical.
Mental benefits
One of the major mental benefits of yoga is that it results to stress reduction.
Since you require great amounts of concentration when exercising, this makes you forget the troubles in your life therefore the stress levels go down.
Another reason why the exercise reduces stress levels is because it lowers cortisol levels that increase stress levels.
Yoga also increases the levels of serotonin that aids in lowering stress levels.
Research has shown that by repeatedly engaging in yoga, you tend to not only decrease stress levels, but you also have high self esteem and low levels of anxiety.
You also tend to eliminate self-depreciating thoughts.
Physical benefits
Yoga has many physical benefits.
Some of the benefits include:
Strength
In yoga, you are required to hold your weight against gravity-this makes you stronger. The exercise also incorporates vigorous exercises such as power yoga and ashtanga that make you build on muscle thus you become stronger. Other than your body being strong, your lungs also become strong. This is due to the rigorous breathing exercises of yoga. When your lungs are strong, you have more endurance during exercises and sports.
Flexibility
Some of yoga postures require you to move most
of your body joints. In the process, you became
more flexible.
There is no one who can't improve his or her
flexibility with the exercises; therefore, you should
not say that you are too old to engage in yoga.
When you engage in the exercises, your
body releases lactic acid that is usually clogged in your
body resulting to pain, fatigue, tension and stiffness.
When lactic acid is released from your body, you
became more flexible regardless of your age.
Posture alignment -
- increase in strength and flexibility automatically gives you a good posture. Due to strength and flexibility, you have a strong core and as a result you have a better posture. When sitting, you sit straight and when walking, you walk tall. A good posture is not only attractive, but it also results into heightening your self esteem.
Biochemical benefits
Some of the biochemical benefits of yoga include: decrease in sodium, glucose, triglycerides and cholesterol levels. The exercise also aids in lowering the levels of LDL-Cholesterol (bad cholesterol) and heightens the levels of HDL-cholesterol (good cholesterol). This aids in lowering your risks to heart diseases and stroke.
These are some of the benefits of yoga.
Are they enough to motivate you to join the next yoga class?
by Kumar Shah: source
