What Are the Benefits of Daily Yoga?
What's your yoga schedule look like? If you're not practicing yoga every day, you may be missing out on some important benefits of the mind/body practice.
7 Advantages of Making Yoga Part of Your Daily Routine
When you practice yoga every day, you'll enjoy these benefits:
- Less Stress. Yoga helps you lower stress by keeping your cortisol level under control. Cortisol, one of your body's natural hormones, increases when you feel stressed and interferes with your ability to relax.
- Fewer Aches and Pain. Yoga stretches your muscles and tissues and improves flexibility. It's a great way to relieve muscle tension and pain that can be caused by stress or posture issues. In a research study published in The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association, 89% of study participants with chronic pain reported that yoga and meditation helped them cope with their symptoms. Whether your pain is due to tight muscles in your back and neck, arthritis, or another condition, yoga could ease your symptoms.
- No More Sleepless Nights. Falling asleep and staying asleep is difficult if you're in pain or can't stop worrying about work or family issues. Performing yoga before bed stretches and loosens tight muscles and increases flexibility, while meditation clears and calms your mind. Practicing yoga may also balance production of melatonin, a hormone that your body needs to manage its sleep/wake cycles.
- Stronger Immune System. Do you frequently catch colds and other illnesses? A weak immune system may be to blame. Yoga boosts your immune system by increasing blood circulation, ensuring that every part of your body receives oxygen and nutrients needed for good health. Meditation, a key aspect of your yoga practice, could even alter pathways that activate the immune system, according to research published in PNAS.
- A Calmer You. As you perform standing forward bend, cobra, tree, and other poses, your body increases its production of serotonin and endorphins. These hormones are natural mood lifters that help you feel calm and in control. A yoga session is the ideal way to start or end the day if you often feel anxious or stressed.
- Better Memory. Does your memory need a boost? Yoga offers a simple solution. After practicing yoga for three months, research study participants in India saw improvements in short-term memory and attention-alertness, according to a study published in the Indian Journal of Community Medicine.
- Improved Heart Health. Yoga also offers heart benefits. Practicing yoga every day could help you keep your blood pressure under control and reduce your risk for heart disease, stroke, heart attack, and high blood pressure. Fifty-four percent of patients in a yoga research study at the University of Missouri School of Medicine experienced a five-point decrease in blood pressure after performing yogic breathing. Yoga may also help you lower your cholesterol level. Fatty plaque accumulates in your blood vessels if your cholesterol is too high, increasing your risk for heart issues.
Not Sure You Have Time for Yoga?
Although a half-hour or hour-long yoga session may be ideal, you may not always have time for a long session. Fortunately, you can enjoy yoga benefits even if you can only practice yoga for a few minutes. According to a research study published in Human Factors, practicing yoga for just 10 minutes a day can improve physical and mental comfort. After practicing yoga for one month, participants reported improvements in mood and less pain in the neck, upper and lower back, eyes, head, hips, and buttocks.
Would you like to find out how yoga can help you? Attend our yoga classes! Contact the studio for information about classes and schedules.
Sources:
American Osteopathic Association: Study Finds Yoga and Meditation Reduce Chronic Pain, 10/1/2020
https://osteopathic.org/2020/10/01/study-finds-yoga-and-meditation-reduce-chronic-pain/
University of Missouri School of Medicine: Can Yoga Lower Your Blood Pressure? 10/18/2019
https://medicine.missouri.edu/news/can-yoga-lower-your-blood-pressure
Indian Journal of Community Medicine: Effect of 12 Weeks of Yogic Training on Neurocognitive Variables: A Quasi-Experimental Study, January-March, 2021
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8117916/
PNAS: Large-Scale Genomic Study Reveals Robust Activation of the Immune System Following Advanced Inner Engineering Meditation Retreat, 12/13/2021
https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2110455118
Human Factors: Impact of 10-Min Daily Yoga Exercises on Physical and Mental Discomfort of Home-Office Workers During COVID-19, 11/2023
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34595984/
International Journal of Research in Medical Sciences: Effects of Yoga and Meditation on Serum Cortisol Level in First-Year Medical Students, 4/25/2018