Newly Discovered Benefits of Yoga
We’ve taken some time to gather the newest research out there on the common and uncommon benefits of yoga. Read ahead to see what your yoga practice can do for you…
Yoga Can Relieve Pain:
According to a systematic review on Noninvasive and Nonpharmacological Treatments for Chronic Pain performed by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (2018), a practice of yoga and exercise can improve symptoms of chronic low back and neck pain, osteoarthritis of the hip and knee, and fibromyalgia. Symptoms of all maladies listed improved in both pain reduction and increased mobility. Thus, the practice of yoga has the potential to offset or prevent the need for surgery and lessen or eliminate the need for pain medications entirely.
Yoga Can Relieve Stress:
According to the study The Effect of Diaphragmatic Breathing on Attention, Negative Affect and Stress in Healthy Adults (2017), it was found that the breath commonly practiced in yoga, known as diaphragmatic breathing improved mood and reduced stress. Suggesting that yoga could potentially be used as a non pharmaceutical intervention for common mental disorders such as depression, anxiety, post traumatic stress disorder, and insomnia to name a few.
Yoga Can Improve Balance:
Yoga has been found to increase balance. For instance, in a study published by the American Heart Association (2012), observed subjects who recently suffered a stroke practicing yoga inorder to improve balance. It was found that a regular yoga practice did improve balance post stroke. A practice in yoga may also assist those wanting to increase balance, such as the elderly, as a means to prevent falls.
Yoga Can Increase Strength and Endurance:
Yoga has been found to increase both strength and endurance. The study, Effects of a 12-Week Hatha Yoga Intervention on Cardiorespiratory Endurance, Muscular Strength and Endurance, and Flexibility in Hong Kong Chinese Adults: A Controlled Clinical Trial (2015), examined both strength and endurance during a regular yoga practice. The authors found that strength and cardiovascular endurance both increased during a regular yoga practice. Additionally, the authors suggested that yoga might be an alternative to high intensity exercise routines as it provides similar benefits.
Yoga Can Increase Flexibility:
An article published by the International Journal of Yoga, examined the Impact of 10-Weeks of Yoga Practice on Flexibility and Balance of College Athletes (2016). It was found that adding yoga to their exercise and conditioning regimens, flexibility was increased in the athletes relevant joint angles according to their sport. An increase in flexibility is beneficial for athletes and non-athletes alike because normal flexibility decreases the risk of injury of mechanisms within the joint.
Yoga Can Aid in Weight Loss:
According to an article published by Harvard Medical School (2015) yoga has been found to create mindfulness around eating habits. For instance, stress eating, environmental cues to eat, and eating out of boredom are reduced while engaging in a regular yoga practice. It was also found that those who practice yoga at least thirty minutes per week gain less weight in middle age additionally, weight loss was observed in many participants. Similarly, it was found that those who participated in yoga had a lower body mass index than those who did not. Thus, a regular practice of yoga will lead to a healthy outlook on eating and a means to manage weight.
Yoga Can Reduce the Risk of Diabetes and Heart Disease:
A study examined The Therapeutic Role of Yoga in Type II Diabetes (2018). The authors found that a practice of yoga can maintain blood sugar levels and prevents some risk factors of diabetes, such as a sedentary lifestyle. Those who do not participate in physical activity such as yoga not only are three times more likely to develop diabetes, they are also more likely to develop heart disease. According to a journal article out of Harvard Medical School (2015), the cardiovascular system will be greatly benefited by a practice of yoga. Yoga can lower blood pressure, and aid in preventing coronary artery disease in healthy people.
Yoga Can Improve Sleep:
According to Johns Hopkins (2019), yoga can improve sleep. This is due in part to the breathing techniques practiced in yoga and it’s meditative properties. The study participants reported improvements in their sleep, both in efficacy and duration. Achieving better sleep will assist in accident prevention and better overall health.
