Guest Blog by Vineetha Reddy.
Yoga is a great way to heal your body. The best part is, all you need to practice yoga is a mat. The health benefits it offers outweigh the benefits of most other workouts. It offers a more holistic approach to health and takes care of your body, mind, and soul. So, if you practice yoga regularly, you will naturally start noticing a marked difference in your energy levels, waistline, and much more. Below are ten things that will happen once you start practicing yoga regularly.
1. You Get Fitter
Through a variety of poses, yoga works your core, shoulders, hamstrings – in fact, your entire body. Whether you are training for an event or just looking to lose a few pounds, yoga will add an extra dimension to your regular workout routine.
2. You Burn More Fat
Yoga helps speed up your metabolism, which helps you lose weight faster. A faster metabolism means you burn fat even while you’re at rest. This makes it an effective fat torching tool.
3. You Feel Happier
Did you ever notice that when you exercise, your mood seems to lift? This is because exercise releases a hormone called dopamine in your brain. Thus, regularly practicing yoga makes you a happy person.
4. You Are Calmer
Meditation is one of the most powerful tools to achieve a balanced, calm mind. It is one of yoga’s most potent tools. Regular practice can help you stay calm even under very trying circumstances.
5. You Are More Flexible
Yoga asanas require a good deal of flexibility, and hence take time to perfect. The better you get at each pose, the more flexible you become.
6. You Sleep Better
If you are someone who has trouble falling asleep, you should notice a marked improvement once you start practicing yoga regularly. Practicing yoga before going to sleep can help you sleep better. This can be attributed to the intensity of the workouts and the peace and tranquility it provides.
7. Your Strength Increases
Even the most basic poses in yoga require a great amount of strength. As you practice these poses, you will increase your muscle density, leading to increased strength. Astavrakrasana and Kukkutasana are two examples of poses that need strength.
8. Your Breathing Improves
An essential component of yoga is its breathing techniques. When done right, they can help reduce blood pressure, prevent heart disease, and keep you calm.
9. You Get Relief From Stress
Stress is one of the biggest causes of a number of health problems such as high blood pressure, strokes, and heart attacks. Yoga helps release stress and releases dopamine that leaves you feeling more relaxed and happier almost instantly.
10. You Feel More Confident
The combined result of all this is that you will end up healthier and happier, and this will ultimately make you a lot more confident.
It seems that yoga has something to offer to everyone. Better health, improved strength, and weight loss are just a few of the benefits this incredible practice offers. If you’ve been wanting to start but weren’t sure if it was for you, hopefully this article will push you to get started.
Vineetha Reddy, is a regular practitioner and adviser of everything related to health, fitness and yoga, she also has begun to write and contribute to this knowledge ecosystem. She strongly believes that the organic food you find in your pantry provides the best benefits for good health. Follow her for her best ideas and solutions on Facebook and Twitter.
Priscilla Van Rooyen says
Actually yoga SLOWS your metabolism. But that’s good. That’s why people who do yoga age well and live long. The only people who loose weight from yoga are those who change their whole lifestyle. For example, eating healthier, sleeping better, etc. I’ve had students who are heavy and never lost weight through yoga, even though they became stronger and more flexible.
Regina says
It is so painful when you start to practice yoga but when you get used to it, your life looks better. Your posture is more nice and especially to me, I get good sleep!