The Benefits of Yoga

By Emily Kobel, BA

Have you implemented yoga into your workout routine yet? Yoga is so much more than just working on flexibility. According to John Hopkins Medicine there are 9 major benefits of yoga!

1. The first one is that yoga improves strength, balance and flexibility. Because yoga incorporates a lot of slow movements that enhance blood flow to the muscles, it helps with flexibility. Holding the poses also helps to increase the strength of your muscles.

2. The second way is that yoga has the ability to help with back pain relief. Improving your mobility and doing stretching is a great way to alleviate back pain.

3. The third benefit is that yoga can ease symptoms from arthritis. A gentle and relaxing yoga has shown that it can help with swollen and tender joints.

4. A fourth benefit is heart health! Incorporating yoga regularly helps to reduce stress and inflammation throughout your body, leading to heart health! Yoga also helps with weight loss and high blood pressure, some of the precursors to an unhealthy heart.

5. The fifth benefit is that yoga helps you sleep better. Doing yoga before bed consistently can help relax and clear your mind and body before you fall asleep and help you stay asleep.

6. A sixth way you can benefit from yoga is that it can give you more energy and a better mindset. After a yoga practice, you will experience more positive mental and physical energy. It can also boost alertness and enthusiasm while helping you let go of negative feelings.

7. A seventh benefit that we all need is that yoga helps with stress management. According to the National Institutes of Health, there is evidence that yoga leads to positive factors surrounding mental health, healthy eating, weight loss and, better sleep. All of these factors contribute to the way we manage our stress and create healthier habits surrounding stress.

8. The eight benefit is that it provides a community. Yoga classes offer a supportive environment that promote healing and growth.

9. The ninth benefit is that overall yoga promotes better self-care. We all know it is important to take time and truly care for our mind and body, and yoga is a great way to do that!

After reading all of the benefits yoga has to offer, try implementing it into your workout routine on a regular basis. You can take classes here at Intelligent Fitness or even do a morning or bedtime flow at home to help you reap the benefits. A great youtube channel to use if you do them at home is Boho Beautiful.