Servicing your car is the life of the engine. Time and effort fuel meaningful relations. The bottom line – everything requires maintenance. Your body is no exception.
But with today’s digital distractions – and our busy schedules – it’s easy to neglect giving our bodies the care and maintenance they need.
If we do carve out time for fitness, we tend to only focus on half of the four types of exercise – strength and endurance. Walking, running, weigh lifting all have an important place. While yoga offers strength building as a result of many poses, it also helps with balance, flexibility, mental clarity and stress reduction.
Why is flexibility important?
A lack of flexibility occurs when your muscles become shortened and tightened. When you need to use those muscles’ full range – to reach up and grab something or take a big step over a puddle, for example – they can become injured because they’re not conditioned to fully extend.
A Harvard Health article notes such a lack of flexibility puts you at risk for joint pain, strains and muscle damage, further explaining a full range of flexibility is critical for good balance. For people who sit a lot while working or conversely, are on their feet a lot, yoga delivers a way to stretch and release muscles that are tight from being in one primary position for too long.
Benefits of a Regular Yoga for All Ages
According to Healthline, following are some benefits to following a regular yoga practice:
- Decrease Stress and Relieve Anxiousness
- Reduce Muscle, Joint and Chronic Pain
- Promotes Quality Sleep
- Promotes Deep Breathing
- Improves Flexibility and Balance
Give Yoga a Try!
Multiple studies have confirmed the many mental and physical benefits of yoga. Incorporating yoga into your routine can help enhance your health, increase strength and flexibility and reduce symptoms of stress, depression and anxiety as noted by Healthline.
Sometimes, people are reluctant to try yoga because they think they aren’t flexible enough or they think all poses are super complicated and difficult. Not true! Almost every pose has variations for different levels and instructors, whether online or in person, offer suggestions and props to accommodate each individual.
Finding the time to practice yoga just a few times per week may be enough to make a noticeable difference when it comes to your health, so try a few different classes to find a style and instructor to suit you!
