There are SO many benefits that yoga provides, it’s almost hard to name them all. In this month’s post, we are going to share 5 of our favorites.  Keep reading to learn the 5 benefits of yoga you won’t want to miss

 

Muscle Strength

Muscle strength is so important to our bodies!  Not only do muscles make us look attractive but they also protect our bodies.  When you have decent muscular strength, your body can be protected from conditions like arthritis and back pain.  Plus, as we age, strong muscles will help us prevent falls. Coupled with building strength, yoga also increases flexibility which and add another protective element to your body.  The more flexibility you have, the more you may be able to minimize future injury.

 

Posture

We often hear that poor posture can cause back and neck pain but no one really explains why.  Much of it has to do with our heads. Our heads are fairly heavy. When we have good posture and our heads are well balanced over an erect spine, the muscles in our necks and backs don’t have to work so hard to support it.  Yoga helps to strengthen the muscles that support our heads and it also can help to train our bodies for good posture.

 

Prevents cartilage and joint breakdown 

Yoga prevents cartilage and joint breakdown. Here’s how:  Joint cartilage is like a sponge. It receives fresh nutrients only when its fluid is squeezed out and a new supply can be soaked up.  Yoga poses puts your body through a whole range of motions that promote the exchange of old and fresh fluid helping to keep your joint cartilage healthy and filled with the nutrients they need.

 

Protects your spine

We have little shock absorbers in vertebrae called spinal disks.  In order for those shock absorbers to stay healthy and do their job, they need nutrients.  Movement is the vehicle that delivers the nutrients. This is where yoga poses come in handy.  Movement through yoga poses that include stretching and twists help to deliver the nutrients needed to keep your spinal disks healthy and supple.

 

Increases Bone Health

Weight bearing exercises help to build bone health which can ward off bone diseases like osteoporosis.  Yoga has many poses that use weight bearing techniques to help build bone strength and health. Some of those poses are:  Downward- and Upward-Facing Dog.

 

Those are only a few of the benefits we can experience from the practice of yoga.  Are you ready to try a class? Our Yoga class schedule can be found by clicking HERE.