I’ll be honest, I’ve never actually tried doing yoga. I know, I know, it’s a crime against society. Yoga has certainly become a popular exercise over the last few years and the people who do yoga swear by it. So, why do they believe in this exercise practice so much? I have to admit, it got me thinking. I wanted to learn more about it because I wanted to try it for myself. I found that there are some amazing health benefits to doing yoga. Here are 8 reasons why you (and I) should checkout yoga.
1. It Relieves Stress
Most people know that one of the best ways to relieve stress is to exercise. Well, did you know that yoga is one of the best stress relieving exercises? Since stress affects our body by tensing our muscles, changing our breathing patterns, and making our heart beat faster, taking a moment to relax, meditate, focus on your breathing and stretching your muscles will almost instantly alleviate your stress.
2. Reduces Chronic Pain
Many people suffer from “chronic pain.” This pain can be in your back, legs, feet, and anywhere in your body. It’s caused by biological inconsistencies in your mind. You can continue to take pills upon pills to have a small amount of relief, or you can start a yoga routine. Many experts believe that yoga can lessen chronic pain. In a 12 week study, scientist noticed that participants who practiced yoga just once a week showed greater improvement in their pain than those who did not.
3. It Can help You Sleep Better
Many people suffer from insomnia and end up taking sleeping pills to help them sleep. Did you know that yoga can actually alleviate and even eliminate insomnia? Since yoga focus so much on breathing and keeping your mind focused, it helps your body be able to relax and your mind be at peace. Even if you don’t have insomnia, but are struggling to fall asleep every once in a while, doing a few yoga stretches will help you relax and fall asleep.
4. Fights Food Cravings
The food battle is a never ending story. Almost daily we are faced with candy bars, chips, sodas, and so much more! If you’re trying to lose weight or maintain weight, you may want to start doing yoga regularly. It has been proven to decrease food cravings because you have more of a physical and emotional awareness with your senses. Your mind and body will be more in tune with each other and will help you to realize when you’re hungry and what is best to fuel your body.
5. It Boosts Your Immunity
One of the best benefits of practicing yoga regularly is that it can boost your body’s immune system at a cellular level. It actually makes a lot of sense when you think about it: yoga increases your physical and emotional health by allowing you to breathe better and move more efficiently thus allowing your body and your organs to function more properly.
6. Improves Your Mind
While most exercises allow you to zone out, yoga actually encourages you to pay attention to your mind and body. It allows you to be more in tune with your mind and therefore more quickly and accurately process information. It’s almost like you are exercising your mind and every muscle in our body needs a little exercise here and there to stay strong and healthy.
7. Increases Sexual Performance
Okay, okay, I know that talking about sex can sometimes be a little uncomfortable, but the benefits of yoga and sexual performance are so interesting, that I couldn’t leave them out. Studies have shown that practicing yoga regularly can actually increase your sexual desire, arousal, orgasm, performance, and satisfaction – that’s for both men and women! The poses increase blood flow to the genital area, which in turn promotes arousal and strengthens the pelvic floor muscles. That means you have a tighter grip “down there” as well as stronger orgasms.
8. Makes Your Heart Healthy
One of the greatest benefits of practicing yoga is that it can actually reduce blood pressure as well as resting heart rates and cholesterol. That means not only a healthier heart, but a healthier body all around. Since it’s so healthy for your heart, it can reduce the risk of heart disease, which is always a plus.
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Mary Mulroney
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