As a family medicine doctor and someone who both practices and teaches yoga, I am excited to share some of the health benefits of this wonderful mind-body-spiritual exercise. If yoga is something you’ve wanted to try but had some doubts, I hope this article gives you just the nudge you need to break out your yoga mat!
Why Yoga?
Yoga has its roots in ancient India, but has become a popular way to enhance physical and mental well-being today. According to the latest statistics, about one in seven U.S. adults practice yoga and the numbers continue to grow. Most people say they take up yoga for well-ness related reasons, and as you’ll see, there are so many of those benefits.
Three Parts of Yoga
In modern day yoga, there are three components of the practice:
- Asana: physical postures/poses
- Pranayama: regulated breathing exercises
- Dhyana: meditation or relaxation
Because there are many styles of yoga—including gentle yoga and chair yoga—the practice is accessible to nearly everyone. Yoga has been shown to be a safe and promising stress management tool for children and adolescents, as well as pregnant people. If you are pregnant, check with your health-care provider to make sure there is no medical reason you shouldn’t exercise. You may need to modify some activities.
The Health Benefits of Yoga
Research shows that yoga may be helpful in preventing and treating a variety of health-related conditions. Let’s take a look at a partial list of benefits. Practicing yoga may:
- Improve your general wellness by relieving stress*, supporting good health habits, and improving mental/emotional health, and sleep.
- Increase strength, flexibility and balance, especially in older adults.
- Relieve low-back and neck pain, and possibly pain from tension-type headaches and migraines, osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia, and pain during labor.
- Improve cognitive (mental) function
- Help people who are overweight or obese lose weight.
- Help people who smoke, quit.
- Help manage anxiety or symptoms of depression associated with difficult life situations.
- Relieve menopause symptoms.
- Lessen cancer-related fatigue.
- Help people with chronic diseases like cancer, COPD, HIV/AIDS, asthma, and multiple sclerosis manage their symptoms and improve their quality of life.
*A 2020 review of 12 recent studies of a variety of types of yoga for stress management in healthy adults found beneficial effects of yoga on measures of perceived stress in all the studies.
Are There Any Risks with Yoga?
Yoga is considered a safe physical activity when performed properly, under the guidance of a qualified instructor. Be sure to learn about the training and experience of the yoga instructor you’re considering.
And finally, it’s always good to take charge of your health and talk with your health-care provider about yoga and any other complementary health approaches you use. Together, you can decide the best direction for you.
Namaste.