10 Health Benefits of Yoga Based on Research

With its roots in Asia, yoga is becoming more and more popular in the western world. Derived from the Sanskrit word 'yuj' meaning 'to join' and 'to unite', yoga is a combination of physical and mental disciplines that bring the mind and body together.

More and more people are eager to practice this ancient discipline, which has many benefits from strengthening muscles to improving flexibility.

The benefits of yoga are so powerful that whether you are a beginner or a professional, even a simple 15-minute daily practice can improve your physical appearance.

To take a closer look at the benefits of yoga, we've compiled the ten benefits backed by research.

1. Builds Strength

Lifting heavy weights isn't the only option for building muscle, as we think. A daily yoga practice can also help you gain strength and improve your appearance. Men and women who participated in a 12-week hatha yoga class showed "significant improvements" in muscle strength compared to the group that did not participate, in a study from the Chinese University of Hong Kong. (1)

2. Improves Mobility and Flexibility

As you'll notice for yourself, improved mobility is one of the most widely recognized benefits of yoga. Whether you are very flexible or stiff as a board, you'll notice a difference in your mobility very quickly if you spend just 15 minutes a day in poses like the warrior and downward facing dog.

You do not have to be incredibly flexible to practice yoga. The beauty of yoga is that it can be adapted and developed at any level. Researchers in the US found that male college athletes who participated in biweekly yoga sessions for 10 weeks experienced a "significant increase" in their flexibility and balance compared to a control group who did not practice at all. (2)

3. Improves Weight Loss

If your goal is to lose weight, you do not have to exercise intensely every day to get results. After all, exercise is only a small piece of the puzzle when it comes to burning excess fat. In a study conducted by the College of California, it was found that overweight women who practiced one of the slowest styles of yoga, Restorative Yoga, at a very slow pace with long poses and lots of deep breathing, lost belly fat. (3)(4)

According to studies, yoga can help with weight loss by burning calories, relieving stress, and supplementing other forms of exercise. Yoga increases feelings of fullness, awareness, and prevents overeating. It also makes you feel more connected to your body.

4. Supports Heart Health

One of the lesser known benefits is that yoga is good for heart health. Research shows that yoga can lower cholesterol and even slow the progression of heart disease when combined with dietary changes and stress management. It also improves your blood circulation (5). According to one study, people over 40 who practiced yoga for five years had lower blood pressure and heart rate than those who did not. (6)

5. Improves Breathing

Yogic breathing techniques (known as pranayama) focus on breathing from the pit of your stomach up into your lungs, slowing your breathing. It also sends a message to your brain that calms your sympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for the "fight-or-flight" response we feel when we are stressed. Research shows that these exercises increase the vital capacity of your lungs, which is the total amount of air you can breathe. (7)

6. Slows Aging

One of the many benefits of yoga is that it slows the aging process while improving quality of life. According to a study by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, intense practice counteracts the cellular effects of aging. After 12 weeks of practicing , participants had less oxidative stress, less DNA damage, more BDNF (a hormone that instructs brain cells to form new compounds), more sirtuin (a group of enzymes that improves cellular health), and more telomerase (which lengthens DNA telomeres). (8)

7. Reverses Chronic Pain

According to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, chronic pain is associated with a decrease in gray matter in the brain, but yoga can help prevent or even reverse these effects. That's because yogis have more gray matter in the brain regions which are involved in pain modulation. Mind-body practices appear to protect gray matter in the brain, counteracting the neuroanatomical effects of chronic pain. (9)

8. Treats Lower Back Pain

Research shows that yoga is just as effective as other non-pharmacological treatments when it comes to reducing functional disability from back pain. Due to our modern lifestyle, many of us suffer from chronic back pain of varying severity. Practicing yoga can be a solution to our severe pain. (10)

9. Corrects Your Posture

Daily yoga improves your posture so you can walk straighter and sit more upright at your desk. In a study of 80 women published in the Journal of Physical Therapy Science, a program of intense, short-term yoga posture exercises improved spinal mobility, especially flexion, more than any other.

10. Increases Your Energy

From a spiritual perspective, it is said that a daily yoga practice awakens the major energy centers (called chakras) in your body.

Postures that stretch the spine, like tree pose, are great for extra energy, allowing energy to circulate throughout the body. Postures that open the chest and encourage breathing, like Cobra Pose, are good for improving breathing.

Scientific research shows that yoga can rejuvenate your mind. According to a study from the College of Waterloo, a 25-minute hatha yoga practice can "significantly improve your energy level." This is thought to be due to the fact that you focus less on brooding thoughts, endorphins are released, and blood flow to the brain is increased. (12)

References:

(1)

Lau, C., Yu, R., & Woo, J. (2015). Effects of a 12-Week Hatha Yoga Intervention on Cardiorespiratory Endurance, Muscular Strength and Endurance, and Flexibility in Hong Kong Chinese Adults: A Controlled Clinical Trial. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM, 2015, 958727.

https://doi.org/10.1155/2015/958727

(2)

Polsgrove MJ, Eggleston BM, Lockyer RJ. Impact of 10-weeks of yoga practice on flexibility and balance of college athletes. Int J Yoga. 2016 Jan-Jun;9(1):27-34. doi: 10.4103/0973-6131.171710. PMID: 26865768; PMCID: PMC4728955.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4728955/

(3)

https://www.ajmc.com/view/health-benefits-of-restorative-yoga-include-trimming-fat-nih-funded-study-finds

(4) https://www.ajmc.com/view/restorative-yoga-better-than-stretching-for-trimming-subcutaneous-fat-in-overweight-women

(5)

Yogendra J, Yogendra HJ, Ambardekar S, Lele RD, Shetty S, Dave M, Husein N. Beneficial effects of yoga lifestyle on reversibility of ischaemic heart disease: caring heart project of International Board of Yoga. J Assoc Physicians India. 2004 Apr;52:283-9. PMID: 15636328.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15636328/

(6)

Bharshankar JR, Bharshankar RN, Deshpande VN, Kaore SB, Gosavi GB. Effect of yoga on cardiovascular system in subjects above 40 years. Indian J Physiol Pharmacol. 2003 Apr;47(2):202-6. PMID: 15255625.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15255625/

(7)

Birkel DA, Edgren L. Hatha yoga: improved vital capacity of college students. Altern Ther Health Med. 2000 Nov;6(6):55-63. PMID: 11076447.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11076447/

(8)

Madhuri Tolahunase, Rajesh Sagar, Rima Dada, "Impact of Yoga and Meditation on Cellular Aging in Apparently Healthy Individuals: A Prospective, Open-Label Single-Arm Exploratory Study", Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity, vol. 2017, Article ID 7928981, 9 pages, 2017. https://doi.org/10.1155/2017/7928981

(9)

American Pain Society. "Yoga and chronic pain have opposite effects on brain gray matter." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 15 May 2015. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/05/150515083223.htm

(10)

Chang DG, Holt JA, Sklar M, Groessl EJ. Yoga as a treatment for chronic low back pain: A systematic review of the literature. J Orthop Rheumatol. 2016 Jan 1;3(1):1-8. PMID: 27231715; PMCID: PMC4878447.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4878447/

(11)

Grabara, Małgorzata, and Janusz Szopa. “Effects of hatha yoga exercises on spine flexibility in women over 50 years old.” Journal of physical therapy science vol. 27,2 (2015): 361-5. doi:10.1589/jpts.27.361

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4339138/

(12)

Luu, K., Hall, P.A. Examining the Acute Effects of Hatha Yoga and Mindfulness Meditation on Executive Function and Mood. Mindfulness 8, 873–880 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-016-0661-2

Disclaimer:

The links provided here are for informational purposes only. YogaProductsTop has no control over such sites and resources. You acknowledge and agree that YogaProductsTop is not responsible for the availability of such external sites or resources and is not responsible or liable for any content, advertisements, products or other content or other materials found on or derived from such sites or resources. You further acknowledge and agree that YogaProductsTop shall not be responsible or liable, directly or indirectly, for any damages or losses incurred or alleged to be caused by or in connection with, the use of such content, goods or services available on or through any such site or resource.