Originally posted on https://blog.ideafit.com/blogs/thehealthcare/yoga-practice-10-health-benefits-of-doing-yoga-everyday

 

Over 35 million people in the United States practice yoga. It’s popular for a good reason—yoga is an excellent method for getting into shape and centering yourself.

But did you know that yoga has more benefits than you might realize? From relieving stress to decreasing your risk of serious illness, continue reading to discover all of the benefits that you can get from a consistent yoga practice.

1. Makes You More Flexible

Yoga requires careful, controlled movements and stretches. This helps makes you more flexible.

Stretching helps give you a larger range of motion, especially in tight areas. Most people experience more flexibility in their back, shoulders, and hips when practicing yoga every day.

Many people don’t realize, but the older we get, the less flexibility we typically have. Yoga will help reverse this process and keep you limber so you can keep on doing the things you love.

2. Eases Pain and Discomfort 

Going to yoga practice can help decrease pain and discomfort in the body.

Increasing your strength and flexibility with yoga can even prevent pain that hasn’t yet occurred. Stretching and breathing exercises help relax the body and relieve the tightness that is often causing aches.

If you have a job that requires you to sit at a desk all day, you may be able to benefit from doing yoga. Yoga helps prevent spinal compression and could help solve many of your back problems.

3. Improves Mental Health 

Yoga is more than just a physical activity. It also works the mind and improves your mental health.

Many people report that focusing on your body while doing poses and stretches fills them with peace. Breathing exercises play a large role in this feeling of calmness and are considered to be a powerful meditation technique.

While focusing on your breathing, you will be able to separate from your thoughts, which helps improve mental health. If you are feeling anxious or depressed, yoga can help clear your mind and allow you to focus on yourself.

4. Builds Confidence

Practicing yoga every day is a great strategy for boosting self-confidence.

Yoga requires you to focus intently on your body, breathing, and energy. Focusing on these things daily will allow you to see yourself in a different light.

Meditating and mindful thinking also help us create positive thoughts. These positive thoughts help distance ourselves from negatives ones. A more positive mind will help lead you down the path of confidence.

To practice yoga you have to be able to accept your body and its limits, without judgment. You will see, over time, that you are more comfortable in your body than you were before yoga.

Many people also see an increase in confidence because they are accomplishing goals that they set for themselves.

5. Increase Physical Strength

Although yoga may appear to be relaxing and easy, it does require you to push yourself and gain strength.

Many poses and stretches done in yoga require you to use your body weight and balance. Some poses involve balancing on one leg or holding yourself up with your arms. Accomplishing these poses takes more muscular strength than you might think.

Balancing often requires arm, core, and leg muscles. You’ll also engage your core when you are trying to breathe in a difficult pose.

 

Not only will you be able to feel the difference in your strength after practicing yoga, but you may also increase your muscle tone and lose weight. If you are a beginner and need help building up strength, a private yoga instructor can help put you on the path to success.

6. Better Balance 

Another benefit of practicing yoga daily is that you will see an improvement in your balancing abilities.

Many poses require you to stand on one leg or balance your body with your arms. To successfully do these poses, you must have control over your breathing and the strength to hold yourself up.

Don’t be worried if you are unable to do difficult balance poses and inversions at the beginning. Over time, you will develop the necessary skills to balance in new and obscure positions. Even advanced students have difficulty balancing at times.

7. Easy on Your Joints

Yoga is beneficial to the body and can even support joint health.

Practicing yoga can help you use your joints and keep them limber without putting too much pressure on them. The movements and poses involved in yoga have a generally low impact on your body.

Another way that yoga helps support joint health is by building up the muscles around the joints, which helps keep them stable. Many people that suffer from arthritis and chronic pain see improvements in their pain levels and have a greater range of motion.

The movements necessary for yoga are low impact, allowing you to use your joints without injuring them. Yoga also helps strengthen the muscles around the joints, lessening their load. People with arthritis often see a marked improvement in their pain and mobility with regular gentle yoga practice.

8. Teaches You Breathing Exercises 

Have you ever thought about how you breathe? 

Many people take fast and shallow breaths that don’t give our bodies much to work with. Yoga requires you to be able to take effective and deep breaths to help the body function.

Mindful breathing exercises can help you utilize your strength and give you the ability to push through a difficult pose. Paying attention to our breathing also helps us clear the mind and focus our thoughts.

If you notice pain around your neck, shoulders, and chest while breathing, you are likely doing it wrong and taking inefficient breaths. Try counting up to 10 while breathing in, hold your breath, and exhale slowly to gain back control.

9. Relieves Stress for the Body and Mind

Another benefit of daily yoga is physical and mental stress relief.

When concentrating on mindful breaths, your thoughts and concerns are often pushed to the back.  Yoga helps give you the chance to clear your mind and take a break from constantly thinking and worrying.

Yoga also helps relieve stress on the body by stretching and reducing the spinal compression that comes with sitting for too long.

If you utilize the skills learned in yoga, you may also gain the ability to put things into perspective. Thinking, without intent or doing, allows you to evaluate things in life with a focused mind.

If you don’t believe it, try out yoga and see if your stress levels go down!

10. Decrease Your Risk of Heart Disease

Improving your overall health with yoga can help more than just your flexibility. People who do yoga typically have lower blood pressure and LDL cholesterol levels. Being at a lower weight and having control of your breathing may also reduce your risk of developing heart disease.

Depending on the type of yoga that you practice, you may be able to get more heart benefits. Fast-paced or power yoga can even give you an aerobic workout, helping you stay healthy and avoid the doctors.

Other Ways to Boost Your Health

There are many benefits to practicing yoga. But what are some other ways that you can improve your health and your yoga practice?

Getting 7-9 hours of sleep each night can help you maintain a steady weight, improve concentration, and control emotions better. Drinking plenty of water throughout the day can also give you the replenishment needed to practice yoga and stay hydrated.

If you want to improve your health, quitting smoking is a great way to do so. Smoking has harmful effects on your lungs, ability to breathe, and the way that your body functions.

Limiting unhealthy foods that are full of fats and carbs can also improve your health and energy levels. When practicing yoga, always try to eat a well-balanced meal before and after. This will help you refuel and prepare your body.

Host a Group Yoga Practice at Home 

Hosting a yoga practice at your house with close friends and family is a great way to improve your well-being. Yoga is a fun activity that has many benefits, including the ability to move and stretch more easily.

If you want to improve your mental health and get better control of your thoughts, practicing yoga can help. With mindful breathing, you can clear your mind and limit negative thoughts.

You can reduce your pain levels and can even decrease your risk of illness. Both your mind and body will improve when practicing yoga daily.

Be sure to check out our blog for more articles on health and wellness. We can help you reach your goals!