It’s no secret that yoga is great for the mind, body, and soul. Yoga classes can do wonders for your body both physically and mentally.
Yoga can boost your flexibility, build muscle, and increase your blood flow as well. One of the best things about yoga is how it can increase your body’s functionality.
Restorative yoga will help boost your immune system, drop your blood pressure, boost your overall mood.
Yoga can also be done by people of all ages and skill levels. With so many benefits to cover, this guide will go over some of the top reasons why practicing yoga is so great for your body both inside and out.
Yoga Increases Flexibility
One of the best benefits of practicing yoga is for improved flexibility. No matter what your level of flexibility is before, practicing yoga regularly will help you gradually loosen your muscles.
You might even notice your muscles and joints feel better. If you don’t have any flexibility, your spine, joints, and back can all feel tight. With increased flexibility, you’ll feel looser, more relaxed, and have better posture.
Yoga Classes Build Muscles
Having strong muscles and good muscle tone can help you with debilitating conditions such as arthritis and chronic inflammation.
In elderly people, yoga for seniors can actually help you build your strength to reduce the effects of slips and falls.
Promotes Healthy Joints and Cartilage
When you practice yoga, your joints experience a full range of motion. You often use muscles and areas where cartilage isn’t typically used.
Cartilage in your joints acts similar to a sponge. When cartilage receives nutrients, they need to be squeezed in order for a new supply of nutrients to be able to get soaked up again.
When you don’t provide your body with proper nutrients and movement, your cartilage gets worn out and it exposes the bone underneath. Think about this like a brake pad that has been worn down.
Yoga Is Great for All Ages
One of the best things about yoga is the fact that anyone can practice it. People of all ages benefit from this exercise. You can practice chair yoga for seniors, a low impact yoga, or kick it up a notch with a higher intensity workout.
Classes can be modified and practiced at a pace that works for the individual.
Increases Your Blood Flow
An added benefit to practicing yoga is that it greatly increases your blood flow. Yoga and physical activity get your blood flowing. Even the relaxation exercises yoga encourages help your circulatory system.
Blood will flow more freely to your hands and feet while providing much-needed oxygen to your cells. Twists, upside-down movements, bends and stretches all help to push the flow of blood through your body and back toward your heart.
Blood clots are often what leads to strokes and heart attacks so keeping your blood flowing is crucial to your health.
Boosts Immunity
Through activities such as yoga, your muscles stretch and contract. Stretching, contracting, twisting, and turning helps drain your lymph. This may help your lymphatic system with fighting off infection.
Yoga Lowers Your Blood Sugar
Lowering your blood sugar and bad cholesterol known as LDL are great reasons to bring yoga into your life . Yoga also helps to boost the good cholesterol known as HDL. For people suffering from diabetes, yoga might lower your cortisol levels which may improve your body’s sensitivity to insulin.
By lowering your blood sugar you may be able to decrease your chances of becoming diabetic, having a heart attack, or suffering from blindness or kidney failure.
Yoga Boosts Your Nervous System Functions
When you’re practicing yoga regularly, you are also increasing the flow of blood to certain areas of your body.
By raising your body temperature, and moving your muscles and limbs, more blood begins to flow through your body which can stimulate your brain-waves and nervous system.
Yoga Releases Tension
If you have ever been driving in traffic and find yourself clutching the wheel strongly, you’ll realize how tense your body has become as you let go of the wheel.
Habitually clutching the wheel, staring at screens, or sitting poorly in an office chair for hours on end can lead to chronic tension and muscle soreness.
As you practice yoga, try to focus on the areas you feel most tense. This might be your neck, your back, or even your eyes. Just by simply closing your eyes during parts of yoga, you’ll give them a break and also be able to focus more on feeling your sore muscles.
Release more tension by paying attention to the parts of your body that need to be relaxed.
Practicing Yoga Is Great for Your Mind Too
Practicing yoga will give you more than just physical benefits. Participating in regular yoga classes will not only help your body function better, but it will also decrease stress and make you feel better mentally.
Exercise is a known mood booster. Being mindful and practicing relaxing and restorative yoga will help you to relax, unwind, and can increase the serotonin levels in your body.
When you regularly practice yoga, you’ll be able to feel both the mental and physical benefits to your body. From an increase in blood flow, more flexibility, and a better muscle tone, yoga provides countless improvements to the functions of your body.
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