The type of exercise routine chosen is almost as important as how often it is performed. If you choose a routine that is difficult and painful for your body, you are less likely to participate in a regular exercise schedule. Those who deal with regular aches and pains often find it harder to exercise and be active, but yoga can help to alleviate some common aches and pains.
With the right instruction and the correct form, yoga can be a powerful tool in fighting common body aches that come with injury, illness, or age.
Yoga comes in hundreds of different forms and is typically made up of a combination of meditation, postures that flex and stretch certain muscle groups, and breathing exercises. Heart rate is elevated by breathing as the body stretches and muscle tone is built through certain poses and actions.
Lessens Chronic Pain
Several of the relaxation techniques used in yoga have been proven to lessen chronic pain from headaches, carpal tunnel syndrome, and arthritis. Regular yoga exercise offers a variety of physical benefits that help strengthen the body.
- Increased energy levels
- Improved respiration
- Improved circulatory health
- Better athletic performance
- Injury protection
- Increased flexibility
- Increased muscle tone and strength
Overall, performing yoga regularly can improve physical health similarly to other types of exercise, without the high-impact of potentially damaging forms of exercise.
Improved Mental Health
Yoga is often used as a way to manage stress, and many fans enjoy the additional mental health benefits that often come with regular exercise.
Yoga fans find that this form of exercise reduces insomnia, lowers blood pressure, and helps with stress management. Stress can have devastating effects on both the mind and the body, and may reveal itself in many different ways. Those who have significant amounts of stress may notice the following:
- Neck or lower back pain
- Drug abuse
- Headaches
- Inability to concentrate
- Sleeping problems
Because each situation is unique, stress can manifest itself in different people in hundreds of different ways. A regular exercise program can offer valuable help with stress management and relief. Yoga in particular seems to teach breathing exercises and meditation techniques that are positive for mental health.
Strengthening the Joints
Regular exercise is always a step in the right direction, but some individuals may benefit from a lower impact workout that is lighter on the bones and joints. Yoga can help to strengthen the joints, particularly the ankles, without putting additional stress and strain on these vital areas of the body.
Joint pain can be relieved and lessened by the increased flexibility and regular exercise that is available with yoga.
Choosing a Program
There are hundreds of different types of yoga available. One of the most important parts of choosing the right program is learning to perform the exercises correctly and in ways that will benefit the body.
Relieving the Pain
Those who live with regular aches and pains don’t have to suffer in silence. Control can be taken back with the help of valuable exercise programs that strengthen the joints, improve physical health, and allow for the release of stress in healthy, appropriate ways.
