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<\/p>\nYoga benefits are backed by science and it dates back millennia. This mind-body practice improves balance, flexibility, strength, sleep, and energy levels.<\/p>\n
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When it comes to\u00a0yoga<\/a>, the answer is (almost always) yes. Yes, yoga \u201cworks.\u201d Yes, yoga is\u00a0actually\u00a0<\/em>a good workout. Yes, yoga can\u00a0help with weight loss<\/a>.<\/p>\n Yes,\u00a0you\u00a0<\/em>can do yoga!<\/p>\n It is quickly growing in popularity \u2014 nearly 10 percent of U.S. adults<\/a>\u00a0have given it a try.<\/p>\n \u201cYoga is about balance, in your body, and in your life,\u201d says\u00a0Yoga52<\/a>\u00a0instructor\u00a0Micki Duran<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cYou gain flexibility and strength. You\u2019ll find it easier to touch your toes or reach behind your back. You\u2019ll\u00a0walk taller<\/a>\u00a0and breathe easier. You\u2019ll set more goals and finish old ones. You\u2019ll gain patience and be more tolerant. You\u2019ll have an easier time being still. You will be more present,\u201d she adds.<\/p>\n And that\u2019s just a small sampling of the benefits of yoga.<\/p>\n \u201cI tell my students that yoga doesn\u2019t just affect your muscles and bones \u2014 it affects every single system of your body,\u201d says\u00a0Ann Swanson<\/a>, M.S., E-RYT 500.<\/p>\n From your brain to your balance, yoga has plenty to offer your body and\u00a0<\/em>your mind.<\/p>\n \u201cAfter the first class, you can feel the mental benefits of a calmer and more blissful state, and after a week, you can start to see your entire body toning up,\u201d says Yoga52 instructor Marie Grujicic-Delage.<\/p>\n And it gets better.<\/p>\n \u201cWith continued, consistent practice, people often experience even deeper benefits,\u201d including an improved overall sense of well-being and quality of life, adds Yoga52 instructor Brent Laffoon.<\/p>\n Whether you\u2019re looking for inner peace, life and mental balance, or just better flexibility, yoga has plenty to offer.<\/p>\n Take a look at the benefits of starting a yoga program and practicing just a few times a week.<\/p>\n More people take up\u00a0yoga for wellness<\/a>\u00a0than for a specific health reason, though healthcare providers\u00a0are increasingly\u00a0\u201cprescribing\u201d yoga<\/a>.<\/p>\n There\u2019s no \u201cone size fits all\u201d practice for all the health benefits of yoga.<\/p>\n \u201cThe benefits are immense and varied and differ from person to person,\u201d says Laffoon. \u201cEverybody comes to yoga with their own unique set of circumstances, and part of the beauty of yoga is that it helps each individual learn how to address his or her own situation.\u201d<\/p>\n At the outset,\u00a0yoga practiced for a stiff neck\u00a0<\/a>might look different than yoga practiced for strength or stress relief, but there\u2019s more overlap than you might expect.<\/p>\n \u201cYoga doesn\u2019t need to be intense to help the body, nor does it have to be gentle to help the mind,\u201d says Duran.<\/p>\n And while you might be drawn to yoga for abs or\u00a0core strength<\/a>, it might be the mental benefits of yoga that keep you practicing.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you can breathe, you can do yoga and experience its profound benefits,\u201d says Swanson.<\/p>\n In short, yoga is good for life.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s a rundown of the benefits of yoga.<\/p>\n Yoga\u2019s focus on breathing is the key to this benefit.<\/p>\n \u201cYoga directly influences your autonomic nervous system, which is your body\u2019s master control system,\u201d says Swanson. \u201cBy calming the nervous system, going into \u2018rest and digest\u2019 more often, your body can function optimally and have a greater capacity to heal.\u201d<\/p>\n There\u2019s been\u00a0significant research<\/a>\u00a0into yoga for stress relief.\u00a0Yoga may be\u00a0more effective\u00a0than walking<\/a>\u00a0for stress management, and, if you stick with it,\u00a0you may be able to\u00a0recover from stress faster<\/a>.<\/p>\n Yoga can\u00a0help build resilience<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 our defense against stress.<\/p>\n \u201cThe more we practice, the more we learn to do things simply for the love and joy of doing them, and not for a specific outcome, which often creates stress, discouragement, frustration, anger, even heartbreak,\u201d says Laffoon.<\/p>\n In research on yoga for anxiety,\u00a0many studies have shown a\u00a0significant decrease\u00a0in symptoms<\/a>\u00a0and measurable biomarkers.<\/p>\n When we practice, \u201cthe nervous system has the potential to move from \u2018fight or flight\u2019 to a more calm \u2018rest and digest\u2019 response,\u201d says\u00a0Sherrell Moore-Tucker<\/a>, RYT 200.<\/p>\n Yoga has also shown promise\u00a0for performance anxiety<\/a>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n As with any form of exercise, yoga \u201creleases feel-good chemicals like adrenaline, serotonin, and dopamine,\u201d says Moore-Tucker.<\/p>\n Yoga may also help shift your perspective, which can in turn boost mood.<\/p>\n Indeed,\u00a0research shows that the majority of yoga practitioners believe that yoga has a\u00a0positive impact on their lives<\/a>. That\u2019s something to feel good about.<\/p>\n While yoga isn\u2019t a fountain of youth, it can help you age more gracefully. That same survey that observed the mood-boosting effects of yoga saw those benefits extend to those as old as 87 years of age.<\/p>\n And the collective physical and mental benefits of\u00a0yoga can also help improve quality of life<\/a>\u00a0in older adults.<\/p>\n Yoga teaches you to focus on your form and breath, helping to improve attention and concentration.<\/p>\n A 2015 research review<\/a>\u00a0found that yoga improves cognitive function, including focus and processing speed.<\/p>\n \u201cOne of the ways that yoga works is by teaching people to slow down and pay closer attention to their bodies and minds,\u201d explains Laffoon. \u201cThe combined effect is that people become much more in tune with themselves on all levels \u2014 mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual.\u201d<\/p>\n In addition to focus, yoga has been shown\u00a0to increase \u201cgray matter<\/a>\u00a0in key areas of the brain, counteracting the natural effects of aging,\u201d says Swanson, the author of\u00a0Science of Yoga<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n The brains of yogis and meditators also\u00a0show less of the natural age-related decline<\/a>\u00a0in intellectual capacity, and both yoga and meditation have been shown to help\u00a0lessen cognitive decline<\/a>\u00a0to a greater extent than memory training exercises.<\/p>\n Those same chemicals that give you a mood boost also help with energy. Even\u00a0two minutes of yoga<\/a>\u00a0can give you a boost of energy and self-esteem.<\/p>\n One in three adults\u00a0don\u2019t get enough sleep<\/a>.<\/p>\n In research on yoga for sleep, the practice has been shown to help both\u00a0men<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0women<\/a>\u00a0catch more Zs.<\/p>\n Indeed, more than half (55 percent) of\u00a0yoga practitioners report\u00a0improved sleep<\/a>\u00a0(and that\u2019s not counting the naps they take during\u00a0savasana<\/a>).<\/p>\n Just 10 weeks of yoga can significantly improve\u00a0flexibility<\/a>, according to a study in the\u00a0International Journal of Yoga<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n The benefits of yoga extend far beyond the mat.<\/p>\n A 2016\u00a0study<\/a>\u00a0found that yoga is just as effective as stretching and strengthening exercises at improving functional (real world) fitness, improving balance, strength, mobility, and flexibility.<\/p>\n Yoga\u00a0may help with weight loss<\/a>, and a 2016\u00a0research review<\/a>\u00a0found it to be safe and effective for doing so.<\/p>\n Yoga\u00a0can\u00a0<\/em>count as cardio \u2014 especially if you do\u00a0vinyasa yoga<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 but the research on yoga for weight loss shows positive effects\u00a0even with restorative yoga<\/a>.<\/p>\n Yoga is a weight-bearing practice that\u2019s low-impact, and its ability to build strength is among its most important benefits.<\/p>\n Research on yoga for strength shows it can help maintain and\u00a0build muscle mass<\/a>.<\/p>\n The weight-bearing aspects of yoga also help maintain and build bone density.<\/p>\n Research by Dr. Loren Fishman<\/a>, a physician and yogi, found that even 10 minutes of daily yoga improved bone density in the spine and hip bones.<\/p>\n Another decade-long study<\/a>\u00a0showed 12 minutes of yoga a day bolstered bone quality.<\/p>\n Yoga can help<\/a>\u00a0with the alignment, flexibility,\u00a0mobility<\/a>, and overall health of joints and connective tissues.<\/p>\n \u201cYoga can help increase the range of motion in all of your joints, as well as create strength around them, so you feel better supported,\u201d says Grujicic-Delage.<\/p>\n And\u00a0studies specifically on yoga for knee pain<\/a>\u00a0show an improvement in both pain and stiffness.<\/p>\n A well-rounded yoga practice can help \u201cimprove strength, flexibility, agility, balance, and fall prevention,\u201d says Swanson.<\/p>\n Working on balance throughout your lifetime can help\u00a0prevent dangerous falls as you age<\/a>.<\/p>\n Yoga can\u00a0significantly improve balance<\/a>\u00a0by increasing\u00a0proprioception\u00a0(awareness of your body\u2019s position in space) and by building strength in your ankles and legs.<\/p>\n Yoga\u2019s benefits for your bones and muscles also apply to your back. The practice works your entire core, the primary job of which is to support your spine.<\/p>\n \u201cAs you start your practice, your muscles will strengthen and activate, and your spine will be better supported \u2014 you\u2019ll have\u00a0better posture<\/a>\u00a0as well,\u201d says Grujicic-Delage.<\/p>\n One study<\/a>\u00a0scanned the spines of longtime yoga teachers and found that, when compared to non-yogis, their spines showed less degeneration of the discs.<\/p>\n Numerous studies suggest that yoga be effective for reducing acute\u00a0neck and back pain<\/a>. \u201cBack pain is one of the areas where yoga shows the most promise,\u201d says Swanson. \u201cResearch suggests that yoga is not only effective, but also cost-effective when it comes to back pain.\u201d<\/p>\n For pain in the lower back,\u00a0yoga has been found to help<\/a>\u00a0even severe, chronic pain.<\/p>\n The benefits of yoga extend to the heart, too.<\/p>\n The practice may help\u00a0manage blood pressure<\/a>\u00a0and improve heart function \u201cincluding\u00a0heart rate variability<\/a>, which may be a measure for cardiovascular and nervous system resilience,\u201d says Swanson.<\/p>\n \u201cYoga can help with fertility,\u201d says Duran, and\u00a0a 2017 review of studies<\/a>\u00a0found that the stress-relieving benefits of yoga might be to thank.<\/p>\n While there\u2019s no magic \u201cfertility yoga pose,\u201d the practice \u201cproduces clarity of mind, a more positive outlook, and more patience,\u201d which can help couples improve their chances of conceiving \u2014a nd of the success of fertility treatments in particular, says Moore-Tucker.<\/p>\n So now you know: Yoga is good for you. Are you ready to actually feel the benefits in your own life?<\/p>\n Commit to doing at least one full yoga class a week for a year (52 weeks).<\/p>\n You can do more than one, but the minimum for reducing stress, increasing flexibility, reducing pain, and getting strong is one 30- to 45-minute yoga class per week.<\/p>\n Yoga52<\/a>\u00a0is a collection of 52 yoga classes for beginners to experts taught by five of the world\u2019s leading yoga instructors.<\/p>\n These classes can help you reduce stress, build strength and flexibility, and improve balance while shaping your body as only yoga can.<\/p>\n From the Beachbody On Demand Blog<\/a> – ![\"Benefits](\"https:\/\/bod-blog-assets.prod.cd.beachbodyondemand.com\/bod-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/30174211\/Benefits-of-Yoga.600.class.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n19 Benefits of Yoga Backed by Science<\/h2>\n
1. Calms the nervous system<\/h3>\n
2. Lowers stress and builds resilience<\/h3>\n
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<\/a><\/p>\n3. May help with anxiety<\/h3>\n
4. Boosts mood<\/h3>\n
5. Contributes to healthy aging<\/h3>\n
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<\/a><\/p>\n6. Helps with focus and cognition<\/h3>\n
7. Boosts memory<\/h3>\n
8. Helps with energy<\/h3>\n
9. Helps you sleep better<\/h3>\n
10. Increases flexibility and functional fitness<\/h3>\n
11. May help weight loss<\/h3>\n
12. Helps build strength<\/h3>\n
13. Promotes bone health<\/h3>\n
14. Keeps joints and connective tissues healthy<\/h3>\n
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<\/a><\/p>\n15. Helps with balance<\/h3>\n
16. Supports back and spine health<\/h3>\n
17. Helps with pain<\/h3>\n
18. Supports healthy blood pressure and cardiovascular health<\/h3>\n
19. Can help improve fertility success<\/h3>\n
How to Start Your Yoga Practice<\/h3>\n