The benefits of yoga for your mental and physical health

Many of us have practiced some form of yoga, and we are all familiar with its relaxing and healing effects.

Even if you’re dealing with an illness, problem, diagnosis or stressful scenario- yoga can help you relax and reduce stress in your day to day life.

Nowadays, yoga is the most well-respected and widely-accepted kind of exercise for young people’s mental and physical well-being.

In this blog post, learn more about the connection between psychology and yoga, including the benefits of yoga for your mental and physical health.

The advantages of yoga are:

• Increased adaptability
• Higher level of productivity 
• More energy, which helps you burn more calories 
• Improved sleep 
• Help with weight loss 
• Improved lung function

The health benefits of yoga

1. Improves Flexibility and Balance

Yoga involves a lot of stretching, so it’s no surprise that it might help you become more flexible at a young age. It also has the added benefit of improving your balance.

In addition to helping you stay balanced while participating in sports like jogging and skiing, balance is essential for avoiding falls and remaining independent as you age. 

2. Helps Lung Capacity And Breathing

An 8-week trial involving 70 minutes of yoga per week showed significant improvements in all aspects of respiratory function in 28 middle-aged persons.

Adults with asthma who practice yoga breathing techniques see an improvement in their lung function. 

3. Impacts Strength And Stamina

Regular yoga practice has been demonstrated to help both young men and women increase their cardio endurance and muscle strength.

The upper body and abdominal muscle endurance improved significantly in a study of 24 women aged 18-25 who practiced yoga for one hour, three times a week for six weeks.

In another study, participants were required to do a sun salutation (a series of twelve yoga positions) six times a week for 24 weeks, with equal numbers of men and women.

Participants’ muscle strength and body mass index both improved significantly by the end of the trial.

The percentage of body fat that female participants lost was also considerable.

4. Reduces Stress

As a result of lowering cortisol levels (the essential stress hormone), yoga helps alleviate tension and calm the body and mind.

As a bonus, it aids in bettering one’s mental health and overall quality of life. When it comes to managing stress, nothing beats yoga. 

5. Relieves Anxiety

Many people use yoga to deal with their anxiety. It’s helpful for people with post-traumatic stress disorder (Post-traumatic stress disorder). Yoga can help people manage their worries.

When you practice yoga, you learn to be fully present in the moment and develop inner peace, both of which help to relieve stress.

6. Fights Depression

In addition to having an impact similar to an anti-depressant, yoga also aids in the reduction of depression symptoms and manifestations. The stress hormone cortisol is reduced with yoga.

People who are battling alcoholism or substance abuse can benefit from yoga. Take Sudarshan Kriya as an example. It’s an advanced Yoga pose for breathing in time to the music. 

Yoga helps lower ACTH levels (the hormone responsible for the release of cortisol) with or without proper medication, and yoga aids in the fight against depression.