10 Reasons You Must Try Yoga

 

A fast-paced lifestyle can leave you feeling stressed all the time, which can build up frustration and lead to ill health. Yoga is a wonderful low impact beginner-friendly exercise which helps improve your body and mind. This multipurpose workout not only gets you fit and flexible, it also helps reduce stress, improve posture and promotes concentration. If you need more convincing, continue reading to discover the benefits of yoga.   

1)    Its as Easy as 1, 2, 3 

The best part about Yoga is no matter who you are, you can do it! Anyone can do it as long as you are committed to practicing and improving your abilities. If you lack the focus to yoga on your own, you can always enroll in a class or follow a fitness expert on YouTube for free! 

2)    Anytime, Anywhere 

No matter where you are or where you go, you can yoga to your heart’s content. It requires very little space that is flat, as long as your body and as wide as your arm span. You can practice in your home, dorm room, balcony, garden, mountains and even the beach. 

3)    Inject Positivity into Your Life 

Yoga has a high impact on creating positive energy. In case you fall during a difficult pose, simply smile and get back up. Being a yoga expert requires you to be patient with yourself and allow yourself to make mistakes. After all, practice makes perfect. 

4)    All-in-One Workout 

Yoga will test your very core, it requires strength, stability, length and flexibility. Yoga goes beyond most other workouts since not many exercises target so many muscles of the body. 

5)    Breathe Better 

Yoga helps you steady your breath. This technique comes in handy during everyday stresses. It requires you to steady your breathing amidst stressful situations. In a study published by Oxford University Press it was discovered that yoga can help reduce stress levels and back pain at work. Study participants were divided into two groups of 37. The control group received no intervention while the other group performed 50-minute yoga routine every week for eight weeks and took a 20-minute DVD for home practice. It was reported that the yoga group experienced significantly lower back pain, hostility, sadness and stress as compared to the control group. They further reported feeling attentive, self-assured and serene. For improved results practice yoga while incorporating herbs into your diet. 

6)    Range of Motion 

Yoga is all about range of motions which tests your body’s flexibility to the limit. Being capable of full range of motion makes you less susceptible to injury. No need to worry though, you don’t necessarily have to perform a split, you can try beginner’s positions to feel the difference. 

7)    Better Posture 

Most of us spend our days in front of the computer screen which is guaranteed to lead to bad posture, not to mention weight gain and lack of blood circulation. Performing a quick yoga workout routine can help you perfect your position and help you look smart. Besides yoga enables you to have body awareness and a strong core which leads to good posture.  

8)    Improved Circulation 

Poor blood circulation can lead to fluid retention, acne breakouts and increased weight. Yoga presents movement which gets your heart pumping and your blood flowing. 

9)    Heightened Concentration  

Did you know yoga can help improve concentration? That’s right, it was concluded in a study conducted by the American College of Sports Medicine. The participants were required to complete three assessments during the second and ninth week of the study to measure anxiety, concentration and motivation. Tremendous improvement was found in all three areas, which is no surprise since yoga is a mindful discipline in the East.    

10)  Improved Sleep 

Effects of yoga were observed in a study conducted by the Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School on patients suffering from insomnia. They practiced 45-minute yoga sessions every night for eight weeks which included deep-breathing and meditation. Improvements in sleep, total sleep time, number of awakenings, quality of sleep and total wake times were reported by participants.