- Yoga enhances flexibility- this is one of the obvious benefits of yoga. Yoga exercises enables subjects to assume different poses and postures which promotes different range of motions to the joints and muscles enhancing body flexibility.[1]
- Alleviates mental stress- As the subjects assume different postures, pays attention to breathing, and concentrates on the present into meditation, there is a biological shifting from the stress related sympathetic stimulation to calm and restorative parasympathetic stimulation. This calming and restorative effect helps to alleviate stress.[2]
- Promotes mental tranquility- this is a feeling of calmness and peace which comes as a result of parasympathetic nervous system activation. [1]
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- Overcome food addiction- According to Yahoo Newsroom, we hold cravings or addiction in our hips, shoulders, spine, muscles. If you feel like going back for that food or snack with addiction, just engage in Yoga to iron out that addiction or craving. [4]
- Control of high blood pressure- the calming effect that comes in yogic subjects is attributed to the autonomic shift from sympathetic to parasympathetic nervous system. [1] Regular Yoga has also shown to lower both the systolic and diastolic blood pressures. [5].
- Better Sleep- regular yoga has been linked to reduced time when falling asleep, prevents sleep interruption by wakefulness, increases time for sleeping and this makes yogics wake up with a feeling of calm and relaxation. [1] Among elderly people experiencing insomnia, regular Yoga has shown to improve quality of sleep, latency and duration. It also improves the quality of life in that the subjects wake up feeling relaxed and rejuvenated for the day.[6]
- Yoga and bone health- Regular yoga postures are weight bearing. [4] The weight bearing effect of yoga can help in stimulating bone thickness hence the bone will not be prone to fracture. [7]
- Yoga helps to release tension- The most interesting thing is that most of us have tried to remember something and naturally one starts scratching the head, tapping fingers or whichever thing that u do. Those are ways in which human body holds tension. Yoga can help release tension by quieting the mind into meditation of the present to release the tension. If tension is not released then it may lead to chronic tension and influx of diseases becomes prevalent. [2]
- Effects on Cancer cases- the yogic moves, breathing and meditation may bring feeling of calmness to a cancer patient by the way they enhance physical, intellectual and spiritual well-being. The calmness and relaxation is a major goal for cancer patients and this may help to enhance quality of life.[1]
- Prevention of degenerative bone disease- osteoarthritis is a degenerative bone disease. [8] During Yoga, different poses which is associated with different range of motion allows blood, oxygen and nutrients to flow to areas which were not well perfused before enabling them to grow healthy and prevent degeneration of the bony cartilage.[2]
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References.
1. Explaining the therapeutic effect of Yoga and its ability to increase quality of life- PubMed. By Catherine Woidyard. Address:http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3193654/. Viewed on: 19/06/2015.
2. 38 beefits of Yoga|Yoga benefits- Yoga journal. By Timothy Mccall, M.D|Aug 28, 2007. Address:http://www.yogajournal.com/article/health/count-yoga-38-ways-yoga-keeps-fit/. Viewed on: 20/06/2015.
3. The Nervous System|Functions of Autonomic Nervous System| Ross and Wilson Anatomy and Physiology in health and illness. By Anne Waugh & Allison Grant.10th edition, 2006. Page 173.
4. 5-Surprising Yoga benefits you don't know. By Alycia Lim|yahoo Newsroom|Friday, June 19, 2015. Address:https://sg.news.yahoo.com/5-surprising-yoga-benefits-you-didn-t-know-095855592.html.
5. Effectiveness of Yoga on hypertension: systemic review and meta-analysis- NIH, by Marshall Hagins, Rebecca States and Kim Innes. Address: http:/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/pmc/PMC3679769/ Viewed on: 20/06/2015.
6. Yoga for improving sleep quality and quality of life for older adults- PubMed- ncbi. 2014 May-June; 20(3):37-46. By Halpern J., Cohen M., Kennedy G., Reece J., Cahan C., Baharav A. Address: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24755569.
7. The Masculoskeletal System|exercise and bone| Ross and Wilson Anatomy and Physiology in health and illness. By Anne Waugh & Allison Grant.10th edition, 2006. Page 387.
8. Osteoarthritis- wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Address:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osteoarthritis
