7 Yoga Benefits That Will Surprise You

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Yoga is an ancient Chinese practice that has become extremely popular in recent years. It offers a lot of health benefits, both physical and mental. Yoga is suitable for people of all ages with different medical conditions. Doctors often recommend yoga as a complementary treatment for different chronic health issues.

Below are 7 surprising health benefits of yoga that you need to know about.

SEE ALSO: How Yoga Can Help Release Academic Stress In Students

Reduce chronic pain

Millions of people in the United States experience chronic pain caused by different health issues. Practicing yoga can help relieve some of these symptoms. The combination of breath awareness and physical movements of yoga helps release muscle tension in your body and reduce inflammation. For people with chronic conditions like arthritis, you can help reduce symptoms like stiffness, limited range of motion, and painful inflammation. Apart from physical well-being, chronic pain can take a toll on your mental health. Because of everyday discomfort, people with chronic pain are prone to depression and anxiety. In turn, depression can worsen your pain creating a cycle. Yoga helps improve your mental state and reduces the symptoms of depression.

Besides, regular yoga practice may affect your response to pain, decreasing the level of perceived discomfort. You may ask the doctor in your pain management clinic to recommend good yoga classes.

Fight depression

Yoga can be an effective way to deal with depression symptoms. Yoga helps decrease the levels of cortisol and stimulates the production of serotonin. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that helps improve mood. Low levels of this hormone make you more prone to disorders like depression and anxiety. Yoga alone is unlikely to treat clinical depression, but this is a great complementary treatment option.

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Relieve stress

Yoga is a popular mind-body practice for dealing with stress. It helps relieve stress by promoting relaxation, lowering your blood pressure, and decreasing your heart rate. Yoga brings both physical and mental disciplines that help manage stress and anxiety. While there are different types of yoga, hatha yoga is the best option to reduce your stress levels. Regular yoga classes can enhance your mood and overall sense of well-being.

Improve the quality of sleep

A poor sleep regimen and insomnia can put you at risk of conditions like obesity, high blood pressure, and depression. Regular yoga classes help promote better sleep and decrease the risk of insomnia-related health issues. Because yoga reduces the levels of the stress hormone cortisol, your night’s sleep becomes more restorative, improving your overall well-being.

Reduce inflammation

Yoga is an effective natural way to deal with inflammation. Short-term inflammation is your body’s natural response to infection or injury. But when inflammation becomes chronic, it puts you at risk of serious health conditions like heart disease and diabetes. Practicing yoga helps reduce the levels of inflammatory markers in your blood, improves overall health, and decreases the risk of inflammation-related diseases.

Promote strength and flexibility

Yoga is a great way to improve your balance and flexibility. This can be extremely beneficial for elderly adults who are at risk of falls and related injuries. In addition to better flexibility, yoga improves strength. Holding a specific yoga pose allows you to increase strength and build muscle. Besides, it can improve your endurance, especially when combined with a regular exercise routine.

Improve heart health

The heart performs many important functions in your body. It pumps blood, supplying all your body organs with nutrients and oxygen. For this reason, it is important to maintain heart health. Regular yoga classes can help lower your blood pressure. High blood pressure is a major risk factor for heart disease. Incorporating yoga into your routine may also slow the progression of heart disease and reduce the risk of complications.

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