Yoga has many benefits for the mind and the body.
It has the power to change your day, week, and even your life.
If you aren’t convinced that yoga is the best workout ever quite yet, keep reading to learn why we yogis truly believe it is. Here’s why practicing yoga is the way to go!
Why You Should Give Yoga A Shot
1. Yoga can jump start your day
A morning yoga flow is an awesome way to start the day. It’s a surefire way to ward off any sleepiness.
If you have to be out of the door early in the morning, you can practice yoga from your house, and just fit in a quick fifteen minute charge up before your workday begins.
Related: 9 (Of Many) Amazing Benefits Of Yoga
2. It helps you relax
The serenity of practicing yoga and stretching can be a wonderful way to get your body primed to rest. Practice yoga after a workout to cool your muscles down, or at the end of a hard day.
3. You can increase your flexibility
This is one of the main reasons that many people start doing yoga. Practicing yoga on a regular basis will boost your amount of flexibility. The time that you put into it along with the amount of natural flexibility that you have will factor into how long it takes to see results.
4. It is great strength and resistance training
You don’t need weights in order to strengthen and tone your muscles. In yoga you are relying on the strength of your muscles in order to place your body and hold it in difficult positions.
Related: 6 Great Exercises To Gain Muscle
5. You can help ease joint and muscle pain
One of the best ways to relieve joint pain or tightness is to stretch your body and warm up your muscles; making them less stiff and reducing pain that you may have.
6. You can strengthen your core
Who doesn’t want stronger abdominals?
The key to mastering many yoga poses, especially the difficult ones lies in utilizing the strength and energy of your core muscles. You use your core in order to get into poses, but also to hold them, which is when you will really feel your abdominals work.
7. You can get your daily cardio in
There are many different types of yoga, and each has its own benefits. If you are looking for something that will get your heart racing, try power yoga. The sequences and transitions from each movement to the next are faster, and you’ll really feel your pulse race. This is a great choice for individuals who prefer low impact cardio.
Related: How To Improve Your Fitness Routine, Once And For All
8. Yoga improves balance
Yoga helps you get in tune with every muscle in your body and allows you to focus on building harmony within your body and mind to find balance. Although some people have innate balance you can certainly use yoga as on method to build and improve on your balance if it doesn’t come naturally to you.
9. You can use yoga maintain and lower weight
Along with a healthy diet, yoga can be used to maintain and even lower your weight, depending on the type of yoga that you practice and the frequency that you practice it.
10. Your posture can be improved
Another positive benefit of practicing yoga is an improved posture. There’s no slouching around for yogis! Yoga poses are all highly specific. Every body part is being called on in order to form the pose, and over time, you start to get used to keeping your muscles active throughout the day without even thinking about it.
Related: 5 Ways To Have Good Posture
11. It is a heart healthy activity
In some cases yoga has the ability to lower blood pressure. Lowering your blood pressure is one way to reduce the chance of having a heart attack, stroke, or heart disease.
12. You have the opportunity to release tension and center your mind
Yoga is a perfect outlet for those who experience a high amount of stress and frustration in their lives. It gives you the chance to forget about the outside world and focus on controlling your body, breath, and focus.
Meditation can also be incorporated into yoga. With each pose, you have the opportunity to clear your mind.
13. Yoga helps you gain control over breathing
A huge facet of yoga is mastering the art of breathing. This may sound a bit silly, because we are always breathing to survive. Our breath is so important. Breathing gives us life and gaining awareness of your breath is an amazing way to center your mind and body.
Related: You’re Probably Not Breathing Right. Here’s How To Fix It
The Takeaway
Yoga isn’t for everyone, but is worth giving it a try. Even if you only try it once, there are so many benefits to practicing yoga that you have far more to gain than you have to lose.
The worst that could happen is that you end up feeling silly or that you don’t like it, and the best that could happen is that you discover an activity that leaves your body and mind feeling rejuvenated!
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Lauren Pickens is a freelance writer and Inspiyr contributor. She holds Bachelor of Arts in Communications and enjoys writing about lifestyle and culture. To read more of her writing, visit her website.