5 Benefits Of Practicing Yoga In Difficult Times

In the last few years, yoga has become more popular. Especially in the last year when pandemics started and this is completely understandable because yoga is an excellent activity that helps us restore inner peace.

But in addition to inner peace, yoga helps us to improve a number of negative physical conditions which makes it an activity that is suitable for literally everyone.

In this article we show you 5 main benefits of practicing yoga in difficult times.

What do beginners need to know before they start practicing yoga?

There are a number of styles of yoga, such as hatha, vinyasa, Ashtanga, then hot yoga and a number of others. These types are somewhat different, some of them are more appropriate for beginners (e.g. hatha), while others are more advanced, more intense and more difficult (Ashtanga). If you are not sure which type is right for you, consult a yoga teacher and start with some easier style to get to know yoga in the most appropriate way.

Like all other workouts, you can do yoga online, which is sometimes an advantage because at the end of the class you can stay in peace of your own home, without the need to change clothes and travel to the yoga studio and back.

What are the 5 benefits of practicing yoga in difficult times?

1. Yoga helps to reduce chronic lower back pain

If you work in the office or from home, and spend most of the working day sitting, there is a high possibility that you suffer from back, shoulder and neck pain due to poor and improper posture. Yoga here works to improve posture and reduce the pain.

Yoga promotes the relief of back pain in two ways: First, the meditation techniques used in yoga encourage relaxation from the physical discomfort associated with chronic back pain. Second, practicing yoga strengthens muscles and promotes chore stability, which is among the most important steps in reducing back pain.

2. Yoga reduces fatigue

Yoga practice stimulates the heart, which supplies the muscles and organs with oxygen-rich blood, which helps reduce fatigue. It is thought that inversion positions, in which the heart is in a higher position than the head, may be particularly suitable for increasing energy levels and reducing fatigue.

3. Yoga improves mobility

Maintaining balance in individual yoga positions contributes to improved stability, as shifting part of the stability (e.g., standing on one leg) requires activation of the muscles involved in stabilization.

As people age, they lose mobility due to inactivity, arthritis and other age-related diseases. But research shows that performing some yoga-based exercises is associated with better balance and mobility in adults over 60.

4. Yoga contributes to healthy heart

A number of studies have shown that yoga has a number of benefits to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, lowering the heart rate, regulating blood pressure and even cholesterol. It is believed that both aspects of yoga are responsible for this: physical movement, but also the regulation and control of breathing.

This is because yoga activates the vagus nerve, which is the main nerve that directs the parasympathetic nervous system, the part of the nervous system responsible for lowering the heart rate and promoting relaxation, to respond better to breathing.

5. Yoga increases strength

While yoga isn’t exactly known for building musles in the same way as lifting weights, moving through the poses will basically bring you the same benefits as bodyweight exercises.

Also, holding in certain positions is actually similar to isometric exercises that require muscle contraction without movement in the surrounding joints. Therefore, these types of activities are excellent for people with injuries or diseases in the joints, but also for those who want to increase muscle endurance and performance.