You no doubt would have heard of the ancient Indian practice of Yoga. In modern times it was first seen as a recreational activity, simply for people that couldn’t exert themselves too much. However the all-round health benefits that it offers soon garnered it a universal following. It is known to help increase flexibility and provide a deep relaxation effect while improving muscle tone and aerobic ability. However, there are now suggestions that yoga also has answers to a varied amount of health problems. For instance, certain Yoga poses have been known to boost fertility. If you'd like to know just how good yoga can be for you? Continue reading to find out more.
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5 Health Problems That Yoga Is an Answer To
1. Prevents Heart Disease
If you are a working professional,chances are you have a stressful job. When combined with long working hours and inadequate sleep, there is a real danger of compromising on health. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has stated that heart disease is the leading cause of deaths in the United States. Thankfully, performing yoga can help reduce the risks of diseases that affect the heart and increase blood pressure. Because asanas are isometric in nature, they rely on holding muscle tension for short spans and then releasing it, which contributes to better blood circulation and cardiovascular fitness.
2. Improves Mental Health
Yoga was initially been thought of as just a mental exercise. So it's no surprise that people rave about the calming effects yoga has on the mind. According to a few studies, yoga has been shown to reduce stress and anxiety, and has been prescribed to people in stressful environments. It has also been found to enhance moods and promote a happier lifestyle. Regularly practicing yoga also helps you concentrate and stay calm during situations you would otherwise find stressful. It improves blood circulation and reducing muscle tension, which indirectly soothes the nervous system. All this combines to reduced anxiety, stress and fatigue, while improving your energy levels and concentration.
3. Improves Posture
Poor posture is quite a common problem and affects most people at one point or the other. It is a common trait among people with desk jobs. Poor posture is a cause for joint and muscle problems. It is the leading cause for lower back pain, a major problem for many people. Yoga helps you correct your posture through the various poses and exercises. Regularly practicing yoga helps increase muscle density and dexterity. It stretches the spine and helps you maintain proper balance through your core. During a study conducted in 2011, 313 adults with chronic or recurring low-back pain were selected. After 12 weeks, Yoga classes were found to be more effective than regular medical care.
4. Improves Digestive System Efficiency
Yoga, through its various poses and breathing exercises, improves the digestive system functionality by having a massaging effect on them. Practicing yoga regularly helps increase blood flow to the organs and speeds up the digestive process. This has a lot of knock on effects including helping to relieve constipation, ulcers and other such complaints. There are also suggestions that yoga boosts metabolic function due to the above mentioned factors.
5. Fights Obesity
The World Health Organization recently conducted a study on obesity. The study suggests that more than 1.9 billion adults around the world are overweight . Of these people, more than 600 million were morbidly obese.As you can tell, obesity has already reached epidemic proportions. Because yoga is a mild form of exercise it is suitable for all ages and can be performed almost anywhere with no side effects. It incorporates stretches, breathing and balancing techniques along with some bodyweight exercises. A controlled study revealed that regularly practicing yoga over a period of a year resulted in significant improvements in achieving desired weight.
Yoga is an effective and relatively easy going health practice that could be the answer to your health problems. What are you waiting for? Consult a professional and get started.
Author Bio : Vineetha Reddy
Being a regular practitioner and adviser of everything related to health, fitness and yoga, I also have begun to write and contribute to this knowledge ecosystem. I strongly believe that the organic food you find in your pantry provide the best benefits for good health. Follow me for my best ideas and solutions: