I’ve always been into working out and exercising, but despite trying every boutique fitness class under the sun, I’ve never found anything I was truly passionate about. Workouts were just something to spend an hour getting through, not something to actually enjoy. That was the case until I discovered The Yoga Joint, a local yoga studio with locations all throughout South Florida. Over the past few months, I’ve seen firsthand the massive benefits regular yoga practice can have on your physical and mental health. It’s more than just a workout – yoga gives you the chance to disconnect from all of the stresses and worries day to day life brings. If you’re unsure if yoga is right for you, here’s five reasons why it’s worth giving it a shot.
- Increases Focus. An important component of yoga is focusing on the present. Studies have found that regular yoga practice improves coordination, reaction time, memory, and even IQ scores. With so many distractions surrounding us every day, yoga gives you the tools you need to stay focused on the task at hand and stay present.
- Relieves Anxiety. According to Healthline, there is quite a bit of research showing that yoga can help reduce anxiety. In one study, 34 women diagnosed with an anxiety disorder participated in yoga classes twice weekly for two months. At the end of the study, those who practiced yoga had significantly lower levels of anxiety than the control group (6Trusted Source). Another study followed 64 women with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which is characterized by severe anxiety and fear following exposure to a traumatic event. After 10 weeks, the women who practiced yoga once weekly had fewer symptoms of PTSD. Some could put this down to extra help from CBD oil and other products (click here for more info), but the yoga was a contributing factor. In fact, 52% of participants no longer met the criteria for PTSD at all (7Trusted Source). It’s not entirely clear exactly how yoga is able to reduce symptoms of anxiety. However, it emphasizes the importance of being present in the moment and finding a sense of peace, which could help treat anxiety.
- Reduces Stress. Anyone who has ever settled into child’s pose knows yoga is calming. “The tensing and relaxation of muscles during yoga-along with mindful awareness of physical sensations-helps us relax,” explains physician Jamie Zimmerman, M.D., a Sonima meditation instructor. That may be one reason why just eight weeks of daily yoga significantly improves sleep quality in people with insomnia, according to a Harvard University study.
- Heart Health. According to WebMd, Yoga has long been known to lower blood pressure and slow the heart rate. A slower heart rate can benefit people with high blood pressure or heart disease, and people who’ve had a stroke. Yoga has also been linked to lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and better immune system function.
- Better Eating Habits. According to Harvard Health, researchers found that people who practiced yoga were more mindful eaters according to their scores. Both years of yoga practice and number of minutes of practice per week were associated with better mindful eating scores. Practicing yoga helps you be more aware how your body feels. This heightened awareness can carry over to mealtime as you savor each bite or sip, and note how food smells, tastes and feels in you mouth.
