Yoga is an effective stress reliever, while also providing meaningful exercise.
Last year, a Yoga Journal study showed more than 36 million Americans practice yoga at home or in a classroom setting. Many choose to start at the advice of their doctors, but there are more reasons why America’s interest in yoga is growing.
Yoga is fun and easy
Anyone can do it.
Yoga is designed to work with whatever level the beginner needs. Equally, true yoga provides the intensity and challenge beneficial to advanced practitioners. You set your own pace and determine how your workout will be for that day. There is no competition, as you are working for your own benefit with no concern of how anyone else is doing.
Yoga can be performed alone in your air-conditioned home, or, you can join like-minded friends in a class at the YMCA or a yoga school. You only need a mat, but even a beach towel works. Age and physical condition are not factors in determining who can enjoy yoga. I have an 84 and a 76-year-old in my class along with teens and those in their 20s and 30s. Cancer survivors come because yoga reduces stress hormones, which helps with recovery.
Yoga improves flexibility, strength and balance
One fourth of all Americans aged 65 and up fall each year, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. One person falls every second, and falls are the leading cause of fatal injury among this group. Falls are also the most common cause of non-fatal, trauma-related hospital admissions for the elderly.
Decrease your chances of falling by improving your balance, flexibility and strength. As strength and balance improve, the human body can better handle the challenges of a near-fall by catching itself. Added flexibility means contortions of managing a fall do not challenge the body connective tissue as much. Being fit restores a sense of confidence and reduces the fear of falling.
Flexibility is restored quickly with a 35% increase after just eight weeks of yoga practice. Strength and balance restore at a slower rate but continue to improve year after year.
Soothes stress while boosting brain power
Yoga supercharges the brain with the mind/body connection. As little as 30 minutes of yoga can increase memory and focus according to multiple replicated studies in American universities, according to Biological Psychology. Yoga also helps increase the ability to process information more accurately and quickly.
The benefits of yoga are immediately evident. Within minutes in class, yoga students start to feel calmer, more relaxed and in less pain. These benefits also result in a better night’s sleep. Research at Harvard Medical School has shown after two months of regular yoga 45 minutes before bed, students fell asleep 15 minutes faster and slept an extra 30 minutes longer every night.
Relieves headaches and back pain
Harvard researchers have also found headache frequency and intensity are reduced significantly with yoga practice. During allergy season, I include yoga movements in every class to relieve sinus, congestion and headache.
How would you like to reduce your back pains by 56%? Just follow the same yoga schedule set up by Harvard researchers: 90-minute yoga classes twice a week for six months. Compare those results with normal medical care, which only registered a 16% improvement of back pain.
Jennifer E. Closshey, Ph.D., is a doctor of integrative health based out of Plant City. Contact her at JenniferClosshey@gmail.com.
