Health benefits of daily yoga practice

Practicing yoga is a great way to practice flexibility and strength of the body, for many people, yoga also helps them retreat from the chaotic, busy daily life. Besides, yoga also offers many other mental and physical benefits.

There are many different types of yoga, hatha (a combination of styles) is one of the most popular. This is more of a physical yoga than a quiet, meditative form. Hatha yoga focuses on pranayamas (breath control exercises), followed by a series of asanas (yoga postures), ending with savasana (resting phase).
The goal in yoga practice is to physically challenge yourself, but not to let your body feel overwhelmed. So, is it good to practice yoga every day?

2.1. Yoga for flexibility While performing yoga poses will help stretch your muscles, practicing yoga daily can help you move better and be less tense or tired. At any level of yoga, you can soon realize the benefits that yoga has to offer. In one study, people showed a 35% improvement in their flexibility after just 8 weeks of yoga.
2.2. Build muscle strength Some styles of yoga, such as ashtanga and strength yoga, will help you improve muscle tone from the get-go. But even less vigorous yoga styles, such as Iyengar or hatha, can offer strength and endurance benefits.
Many poses, such as downward, upward, and plank, help strengthen the upper body. Standing poses, especially if you hold them for several long breaths, will strengthen your hamstrings, quads, and abs. Poses that strengthen the lower back include the upward pose and the chair pose.
When done right, nearly all poses build deep abs core strength.

2.3. Better posture from yoga As you get stronger and more flexible, your posture will improve. Most standing and sitting poses develop core strength, as you need your core muscles to support and maintain each pose. With a stronger core, you're more likely to sit and stand "tall".
Yoga also helps you to become aware of your own body. That helps you recognize faster if you're slacking or slacking, so you can correct your posture.
2.4. Yoga breathing benefits often involve paying attention to your breath, which can help you relax. It can also require specific breathing techniques, however yoga is usually not aerobic, running or cycling, unless it is an intense type of yoga.
2.5. Less stress, calmer You may feel less stressed and more relaxed after doing yoga. Some styles of yoga use meditative techniques that help calm the mind. Focusing on the breath during yoga can do the same.
2.6. Good for your heart Yoga has long been known for its effects on lowering blood pressure and slowing heart rate. A slower heart rate may benefit people with high blood pressure or heart disease and those who have had a stroke.
Yoga has also been linked to lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and better immune system function.
2.7. Better Body Image Yoga develops inner awareness, focusing your attention on your body's capabilities in the present moment. Yoga helps develop breath and strength of mind and body.
Yoga studios often don't have mirrors, which makes it possible for people to focus their awareness inwards rather than posing or what the people around them look like. Surveys conducted have found that people who practice yoga perceive their bodies to have more changes than those who do not practice yoga. They also feel more satisfied with their bodies. For these reasons, yoga has become an integral part of eating disorder treatment and programs that promote positive body image and self-esteem.

2.8. Being a mindful eater refers to focusing your attention on what you are experiencing in the present moment without judging yourself.
Yoga has been scientifically proven to increase mindfulness not only in the classroom but also in other areas of one's life.
Researchers also describe mindful eating as an unjudgmental awareness of the physical and emotional sensations associated with eating. They developed a questionnaire to measure mindful eating using the following behaviors:
Eating even when full (inhibitory) Perceiving the look, taste and smell of food Eating in response respond to environmental cues, such as: seeing or smelling food Eats when in a sad or stressed mood (emotional eating) Eats when distracted by other surroundings. Researchers found that yoga practitioners were more mindful eaters according to their scores. Both years of yoga practice and number of minutes per week were associated with better mental eating scores. Practicing yoga helps you to become more aware as well as feel your body's sensations. This heightened awareness can carry over to mealtime as you savor every bite or sip, and notice how food smells and tastes and perceives the food in your mouth.
2.9. Promotes weight loss and weight maintenance People who practice yoga and eat are mentally more in tune with their bodies. They may be more sensitive to the body's hunger and satiety cues for food.
Researchers found that people who practiced yoga for at least 30 minutes once a week for at least four years gained less weight in middle age. In general, people who practice yoga have a lower body mass index (BMI) than those who do not practice yoga. The researchers suggest that this may be due to mindfulness. Mindful eating can lead to a more positive association with food and eating.
2.10. Physical Strength Yoga is known for its ability to help muscles calm tension and anxiety in the mind and body. But yoga can also have an impact on a person's ability to exercise.
Researchers studied a small group of people who were sedentary and had not practiced yoga before. After eight weeks of practicing yoga at least twice a week for a total of 180 minutes, the participants had better muscular strength and endurance, flexibility, and cardio and respiratory fitness.
It can be seen that practicing yoga brings a lot of health benefits. Therefore, to have a healthy body in addition to maintaining a healthy diet, you should also pay attention to daily exercise. If you do not know where to start, you can refer to many yoga exercises for beginners at the website of Vinmec International General Hospital.

Reference source: webmd.com