Yoga is a popular form of exercise that can have positive health benefits. It can help reduce stress, improve sleep and build strength and resilience.
In addition, yoga can also help people with mental disorders such as depression. Many therapists and doctors have begun to prescribe yoga as a treatment for their patients, along with medications or talk therapy.
Stress Reduction
Yoga is a practice that uses physical movements, breathing and meditation to increase strength and flexibility and improve overall health. It also can help reduce anxiety and depression, improve sleep and strengthen social bonds.
Stress and anxiety can get in the way of your daily life and interfere with your ability to accomplish important goals. It cannot be easy to control these feelings, but it’s possible with some practice.
Research shows that yoga increases gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a neurotransmitter that calms your body and mind. Additionally, yoga can stimulate the brain’s release of endorphins, making you feel more positive and reducing anxiety symptoms.
The yogic practice also works to regulate the hypothalamus gland, which is responsible for controlling your hormone production. This can decrease your cortisol levels, the stress-related hormone that causes fatigue and weight gain. Moreover, it can reduce your blood pressure and improve your immune function.
Weight Loss
Yoga is a holistic, mind-body practice promoting balanced physical, emotional and spiritual well-being. It involves exercises, meditation (focusing thoughts) and breathing practices.
It can also effectively reduce stress and anxiety and increase levels of gamma-aminobutyric acid, a brain chemical that helps improve mood. Visit https://bellinghamevo.com/classes/yoga/ to learn more about the benefit of yoga to your health and wellness.
Researchers have also found that yoga can help people deal with stress and sleep problems associated with severe illnesses like cancer. One Duke University Medical Center study found that eight weeks of yoga reduced pain and fatigue, improved invigoration and relaxation, and boosted the quality of life in women diagnosed with breast cancer.
Yoga can also increase weight loss through cardio and strength-training exercises, resulting in the body burning anywhere from 400 to 800 calories an hour. And while calorie burning isn’t an exact science, it’s considered a positive indicator of fat loss, according to Dr. Stanford.
Mental Health
Yoga is a powerful mind-body practice that combines meditation, relaxation and physical exercise. It’s believed to have originated thousands of years ago in India, and it is now practiced worldwide.
Yoga has been shown to reduce depression, improve mood, and even reduce symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It can also help you manage anxiety and sleep better.
Research has also shown that yoga positively affects the HPA axis and sympathetic nervous system, essential to overall health. It also improves brain chemicals called BDNF, which are associated with mood regulation and reduced anxiety.
In addition to the benefits mentioned above, yoga classes like those at Fitness Evolution can improve your ability to focus and concentrate. Loss of concentration is a common symptom of many mental disorders, and yoga can help you recover this skill.
Blood Pressure Control
Yoga is a holistic, spiritual practice that unites the body, mind, and spirit. This can lead to a sense of peace and well-being.
Practicing yoga can also help control high blood pressure naturally. The gentle, soothing poses of yoga relax the mind and the body, reducing stress-related factors contributing to high blood pressure.
Combining yoga with other therapies, such as lifestyle changes and Ayurvedic remedies, can provide a holistic approach to lowering blood pressure.
A review of 17 studies evaluating the impact of yoga on systolic and diastolic blood pressure found that overall, participants practicing yoga had average reductions of 5 mmHG in systolic BP and 3.9 mmHG in diastolic BP when compared to controls. However, the effects varied by type of yoga intervention and comparison group.