6 Reasons why yoga is good for both men and women
When you think of a yoga class you'd probably imagine a class filled with women, maybe the token man or two, stretching and contorting their bodies in shapes you honestly thought the human body would - and should - never be able to do.
We're here to tell you that yoga isn't, and shouldn't be, just for women. Here's a few reasons why you should add yoga into your weekly exercise routine:
- Improves flexibility
Starting with the obvious, yoga doesn't just help you touch your toes. The dynamic movements and stretches in yoga help the body become more flexible as well as mobile – creating far-reaching benefits for whatever other physical activity you might want to be doing. Due to the low-impact nature of this exercise, yoga is also hugely beneficial for both preventing and helping people with injuries.
- Makes you stronger
You don't need to pump the iron to get toned. Even the simplest of yoga poses can help tone muscle groups in both the upper and lower body which leads to...
- Better posture
Yoga helps counter the effects of lifting heavy weights and sitting in an office chair all day by having a combination of strength and mobility. In fact, after young, healthy adults performed hot yoga for eight weeks, they experienced increases in their lower back, hamstring, and shoulder flexibility, a study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found.
- Aids in digestion
It’s not all about the external physical benefits you’ll get... Yoga may help relieve digestive issues by increasing circulation and promoting gut motility. However, scientists need to do more research to understand its role in specific digestive issues.
- Boosts immunity
Our body’s immune system plays a pivotal role in our health. It fights viruses, bacteria and defends us from ailments. For years, medical practitioners have emphasised the importance of building immunity, which can be achieved by adopting a healthy lifestyle, a nutritious diet, healthy sleeping habits and physical activity such as Yoga, enhances our body’s natural defence mechanism.
Yoga helps boost our immune systems by strengthening our respiratory health. The controlled breathing needed for yoga improves blood flow, lowers stress levels and increases the efficiency of our lungs.
- Stress reliever
A study published in the journal Immunology found that those who did yoga suppressed the activation of certain genes that cause inflammation, a common response to stress that can lead to some serious health implications.
Yoga has also been found to increase your body's ability to respond to stress more effectively. How? By reducing heart rate, blood pressure, and easing respiration in stressful situations that typically increase these responses.
We'll see you on the yoga mat ;-)