Stretching for Success

Yoga for health and wellness has swept across the nation, and for good reason. Yoga is one of the most comprehensive practices for stretching the body and building strength. It provides numerous benefits to people of all ages, and the effects of yoga can be felt long after the practice session is over. Here’s what you need to know:

Pain Relief

One area of yoga practice that has been widely studied is that of pain relief. Yoga for health and wellness has been shown to drastically improve pain symptoms over time. The practice of yoga involves gentle stretching and strength building which also takes pressure off of joints and other pain points.

Physiological Improvements

Aside from pain relief, yoga has also been shown to offer positive health impacts in other areas. For instance, research shows that yoga can reduce the severity of high blood pressure in some patients, and can also slow down the development of type 2 diabetes by minimizing risk factors.

Psychological Effects

Part of yoga is slowing down and learning to understand how the body moves and breathes. This increase in awareness of the body and breath has a certain positive effect on mental health. Yoga is often used to manage stress, anxiety, and depression, which are especially important for patients who are also suffering from chronic pain or other illnesses.

Weight Loss

Yoga is a unique form of exercise because it can be adjusted to any level necessary to get the patient moving. For those who have been living sedentary lives, slow yoga is an important first step in restoring range of motion and beginning weight loss. Over time, the difficulty of the poses can be increased, and movements can be sped up to increase difficulty and continue breaking through plateaus.

Sleepless Nights

All of the above benefits of restorative yoga for health and wellness can also be useful for patients who suffer from insomnia. By stretching the body and breathing deeply, your body will slowly relax. You can release tension in the head and neck, and draw your focus back onto yourself, away from the cycle of work and other things that could be keeping your mind busy.

These are just five of the most important benefits that yoga for health and wellness has to offer. What appears to be a simple system of stretches and poses is actually a whole body holistic approach to treating a wide range of symptoms and illnesses. To learn more, visit today and speak with one of our health and wellness experts.