Yoga exercises are low-impact and may be an effective way to reduce stress and improve balance. It also can promote emotional health and, for some, reduce symptoms of chronic conditions like arthritis and digestion issues.
But is there evidence that a regular yoga practice can slow or even reverse cancer? Cohen explores the research.
Strength
Yoga exercises can strengthen muscles throughout the body, especially if you practice the more strenuous forms of the practice like Vinyasa or power yoga. Unlike other types of exercise, you don’t need any equipment for yoga—you can work your muscles using your own body weight for resistance. If you already incorporate strength training into your workout, adding yoga can help improve your performance and reduce your risk of injury.
If you want to build your core and arm strength, consider doing plank pose, forearm plank, or a side plank variation. Chaturanga is another great exercise for building upper body strength and balance. Dolphin Pose and Crow Pose are also good for strengthening the arms, while Four-Limbed Staff Pose helps with shoulder stability. The challenging handstand pose, or adho mukha svanasana, requires all-over strength to achieve. However, it is a great way to build a strong foundation to progress to more advanced poses.
Flexibility
People might be surprised to learn that yoga is a great flexibility exercise. While the images of super-bendy people doing yoga might make it seem that only contortionists can do the poses, anyone who wants to improve their flexibility over time can do so safely with yoga.
Flexibility training helps prevent back pain, hip problems and sports injuries by promoting good movement technique and healthy joint function. In one study, college athletes who did yoga twice a week for 10 weeks had better balance and shoulder flexibility than those who didn’t.
Yoga stretches the major muscle groups in the body including the legs, hips and back. Using props, such as a chair or block, to help you achieve the correct alignment of a pose makes your yoga practice more effective. It also helps you track your progress, so over time, you’ll be able to do more of the exercises without the props.
Balance
Yoga strengthens the muscles of your core and legs, which help with balance. The practice also helps improve posture and encourages you to be mindful of your body. Many people find that their stress levels decrease after regular yoga sessions. This is because yoga increases the levels of certain chemicals that increase your feeling of calm and wellbeing.
Balance exercises can be static, like standing on one foot, or dynamic, like walking backwards. They do not require any equipment and can be done anywhere. If you are new to balance training, it is recommended that you perform these exercises near a wall or stable chair in case you lose your balance.
Aim for a few sets of 10 to 20 repetitions and do the exercise two or three times per day. To make the exercise more challenging, hold hand weights to increase the resistance. Balance training is an important part of maintaining mobility and reducing falls in old age. It can also boost your athletic performance.
Stress Relief
Yoga offers a calming practice that promotes health and wellbeing. While most forms of exercise can relieve stress, yoga is unique in its ability to balance the sympathetic nervous system with the parasympathetic system by incorporating meditation, mindful movement and beneficial postures. In addition to its physical benefits, yoga also boosts the body’s production of hormones that create a sense of happiness and calmness.
Try these easy yoga exercises at home to help you feel more relaxed, even on your busiest days. Neck and shoulder rolls can release tension in the neck and back, while forward folds and twists ease lower-back pain. And balancing poses like tree pose can give your face a mini-massage and relieve tightness in the jaw. Breathing and relaxation techniques also relieve stress by decreasing heart rate and blood pressure.