The Benefits of Yoga Are for body and mind, to lose weight and even has advantages for children. They burn calories and tone muscles, while serving for relaxation or meditation through breathing.
Yoga, although it seems a relatively recent form of exercise, has been practiced for more than 5,000 years.
There is not a single modality of practicing yoga as many believe, but more than 100 types. Some are faster and more intense, and others are more soothing and relaxing.
If you are thinking about starting yoga, it is ideal for people with diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol or heart disease.
The ideal is to combine yoga with other aerobic physical activities such as walking, run , Bicycle swim , If you are not doing exercises that require quick movements and that make us work.
If you have high blood pressure , diabetes Or heart problems, it is advisable to consult the doctor so that you avoid - if necessary - some exercise. Especially in those where it is necessary to maintain the balance of the body only with the hands, which may be avoided according to what physical state.
For pregnant women, yoga is an ideal activity, as it does not require excessive effort and relaxation works.
After the first trimester, no position should be placed that poses any danger to the baby, postures that put pressure on the abdomen, or the lower back.
In addition, you should not stretch beyond what before pregnancy, the hormones of pregnancy sensitize the joints and make you more likely to suffer an injury.
As a last recommendation for pregnant women who want or are practicing yoga, do not do yoga in places where room temperature is very high.
Yoga is a perfect technique for all types of audiences unlike other disciplines that have more determined canons.
Young people, adolescents, athletes, middle-aged mothers, seniors, all have a place in the practice of yoga.
You can no longer resort to the excuse of"I do not do it because I do not know where to go", luckily, nowadays there are centers for practicing yoga in all cities and in many gyms near our house.
Benefits of Yoga for Health
1. Improve flexibility
One of the most notorious and obvious benefits of practicing yoga is improving flexibility. Once you enter the first class, you may not be able to touch the ground with your fingers without bending your knees, as well as other things, but as you advance the classes there will come a point where you will probably be able to get it .
In addition to improving your flexibility, practicing these exercises will also help your pains stop or calm down.
Yoga postures are focused to strengthen the muscles around the spine , Which is the center of the body and the nucleus by which we can articulate movements. When the posture is correct, it is a sign that the column is working correctly.
The stretches of yoga are in relation to the digestive system . Good stretching, in addition to a healthy eating practice, can relieve constipation, irritable bowel syndrome (SII) and the gastric reflux .
Another benefit of yoga is that stretching causes our body to tend to a more upright posture. So our body becomes more stylized, looks taller, and slimmer.
2. Increases muscle strength
Practicing these exercises will make your muscles more toned, especially if you also work with light weights.
Obviously, yoga is not a tool focused exclusively on gaining weight, so if your only goal is to gain muscle mass, yoga is not what you are looking for. That said, yoga, prevents from muscle problems or diseases like arthritis .
Yoga, unlike gym routines linked to bodybuilding, does so along with flexibility. If you focus only on bodybuilding, you will improve your muscle tone, but not flexibility.
Some activities of daily living such as driving, produce chronic tension, muscle fatigue, pain in the wrists, arms, shoulders, or neck. This can To cause stress And make it worse State of mind .
Yoga will help you identify where you exert more strength or tension, so you will know how to behave to reduce pain.
3. Take care of your posture
As you place your body in any activity or moment of the day will define your physical state later. That is, it will make your back, neck, or legs hurt.
Therefore, yoga will make you have a much more correct and adequate natural posture without having to strain.
In the long run, when you maintain a bad posture without correcting it, it can cause lifelong illnesses like degenerative arthritis of the spine. So by doing yoga, you will save effort and avoid more than one visit to the doctor.
4. Improves bone health
Many yoga postures are related to levying our own weight. These types of exercises are highly recommended for strengthening bones.
In a study conducted by California State University (USA), yoga practice increases bone density in the vertebrae. Yoga's ability to reduce levels of Cortisol
5. Increases blood flow
In Relaxation exercises , Yoga can help blood circulation especially in the hands and feet.
Other more delicate postures like those of inverted positions (the case of?? pine?) Encourage the blood circulation of the legs and the pelvis. Blood flows back to the heart, where it can be pumped into the lungs to be oxygenated.
This may help if you have swelling in your legs due to heart or kidney problems. Yoga also increases levels of hemoglobin and red blood cells, which carry oxygen to tissues.
This can lead to a decrease in heart attacks and Cerebrovascular accidents Since blood clots are often the cause.
6. Rest better
Research conducted by Harvard University (USA) determined that eight weeks with a daily yoga session significantly improved sleep quality for people with insomnia .
Another study stated that a twice-weekly yoga session helps people who have overcome cancer sleep better And feel less tired.
This can be attributed to yoga's ability to help people cope with stress.
Sleep problems are like the anxiety , The head does not stop to revolve and you do not know how to relax.
Therefore, breathing and mental exercises allow the mind to improve self-control, so that you can rest better.
7. Increases sexual desire
As well as improvements to sleep, studies have found that 12 weeks of yoga can improve sexual desire, arousal, performance, trust , Orgasm, and satisfaction for both men and women.
The answer is simple, yoga increases blood flow in the genital area, which is important for arousal and erection, as well as strengthening the muscles of the pelvic floor. Also, mental and respiratory control can improve sexual performance.
Canadian psychologist Lori Brotto, a member of the International Academy of Sexual Research Concluded in one of his investigations that through meditation most women achieved important improvements in their lubrication and subjective perception of sexual desire.
Other studies carried out by researchers from India in 2010 and published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine Said that 65 men who started practicing yoga increased their sexual desire, improved erection, ejaculatory control, confidence, and satisfaction after intercourse.
8. Improve your mind
Apart from its many physical benefits, yoga is one of the most useful tools to reduce the stress that we all have in our daily lives.
What's more, even this stress can translate into physical problems in areas such as the back or neck, or it can lead to problems with insomnia, headache, or inability to concentrate, says Dr. Nevins, an expert in osteopathy And yoga.
"Yoga can be very effective in developing coping skills and in getting a more positive outlook on life,"he adds.
"Regular yoga practice promotes greater clarity of mind and calmness, increases body awareness, alleviates chronic stress patterns, relaxes the mind, and achieves a greater capacity for attention,"says Dr. Nevins.
According to the British Psychology Society, practicing yoga involves concentration on the breath and body, which makes it a great remedy to calm a person's mind and relieve worries.
Adolescence, as we all know, is a difficult and difficult stage through which we all spend in our lives. Because of this, there are many disorders or diseases that the child is at risk of suffering, so any tool to combat them will always be positive.
It is at this time when children are more likely to suffer mental illness, so thanks to the characteristics of yoga, it can be prevented in a healthy way.
The study published in the Journal of Pediatrics shows that children who practiced yoga and sports activities compared to the non-yoga group were in a better mood, with lower levels of anxiety and tension (these are some of the The many important factors in the prevention of psychological disorders in adolescents).
Yoga can also be used as therapy against traumatic experiences. This is the case of women who have been victims of abuse, soldiers who have fought in war, or persons who have suffered bullying .
In general, these people develop as a consequence Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) that leads, among other symptoms, to frequent nightmares and flashbacks.
As an antidote to useless remedies for the disorder, yoga has been shown to be effective in reducing the symptoms of PTSD according to the American Psychological Association.
And what other benefits have you noticed when practicing yoga?
References
- Yoga.guiafitness.com/beneficios-yoga-salud.html.
- Examinedexistence.com/.