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OCTOBER 8, 2021


6 SURPRISING WAYS YOGA CAN BENEFIT YOUR HEALTH

Brierley Horton M.S. Rd (author)

EatingWell (source)

Yoga has always been touted as good for the mind and body. But beyond improving
your flexibility, learning yogi breathing techniques and strengthening muscles,
are there other health benefits of yoga? (Spoiler: there are—and some are pretty
surprising!) And perhaps best of all is that you don't have to practice yoga for
years to reap the benefits—sometimes all you need is a few weeks. Here's what to
know about practicing yoga for your health.


6 HEALTH BENEFITS OF YOGA


IT LOWERS CHRONIC INFLAMMATION.

Quick refresher: acute inflammation (e.g., the redness around a cut) is A-OK.
Ongoing or chronic inflammation, however, can be dangerous and is at the root of
many chronic conditions such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, cancer and more.
Multiple studies have shown that practicing yoga lowers key inflammatory markers
(think: C-reactive proteins and cytokines) and also boosts compounds that help
alleviate inflammation.

Also impressive is that a short, dedicated stint with yoga can make a
considerable difference. One study enrolled part of a group of adults in a
10-day yoga intervention that included stress management classes. After 10 days,
those in the yoga/stress management group had lower levels of cortisol (the
stress hormone) and multiple other inflammation-spurring compounds.


IT LESSENS STRESS.

Not only does stress impact our mental health (more on that below), but chronic
stress can also suppress the immune system and slow your body's response to an
illness-causing invader. Doing yoga, and in particular the breathing techniques
taught during yoga, can help reduce levels of the stress hormone cortisol. The
slow and rhythmic breathing that's taught and encouraged in yoga also promotes
the release of certain hormones that induce calmness. (They also foster feelings
of friendship and bonding, and friends are good for stress relief!) And over
time, for regular yoga practitioners, there's less firing in the part of the
brain that makes norepinephrine in response to stress and panic.

Even just a few weeks of practicing is helpful: In a 2018 study, employees
participated in one of two groups: one group had a 16-week yoga intervention
while the other had 8 so-called "normal" workweeks and then started an 8-week
yoga intervention. At the end of the study both groups had less stress and
anxiety and an overall boost in their well-being.


IT IMPROVES MENTAL WELLNESS.

Whether you have a diagnosable mental health condition or not, yoga is good for
your mood and outlook. Research suggests that practicing yoga encourages the
production of GABA, serotonin and dopamine—all of which are neurotransmitters
and hormones that have natural antidepressant properties. Put another way, lower
levels of GABA have been associated with mental health conditions like
schizophrenia, anxiety, depression and PTSD.

Additionally, a regular yoga practice has helped clinically depressed patients.
In one study, patients either received medication or practiced yoga or employed
a combination of both. Both of the groups that practiced yoga saw an improvement
in their cortisol levels and, interestingly, the yoga-only group lowered their
depression survey scores.


IT BOOSTS HEART HEALTH.

Keeping chronic inflammation in check (which yoga can help with) is valuable for
heart health. But yoga also offers some other heart-protective perks. In a study
of patients with heart failure, those who followed a yoga program (versus
standard medical therapy alone) for about 3 months lowered their heart rate,
blood pressure and improved other important markers. Another study showed that
folks with high blood pressure were able to improve their pressure with yoga
(together with blood pressure medication)—although, interestingly, those who
were considered "pre-hypertensive" didn't lower their blood pressure with yoga.


IT ENCOURAGES BETTER SLEEP.

Practicing yoga has been shown to boost melatonin, which helps us fall—and
stay—asleep, according to a review study published in 2017 in the journal
Children. In addition to sleep quantity, yoga has been said to improve sleep
quality. GABA (the neurotransmitter that's important for mental health) also
plays a role in sleep regulation, so yoga-promoting GABA production is also good
for your overnight slumber.


IT'S JUST AS GOOD AS "TRADITIONAL" EXERCISE.

Elements of yoga like the various physical postures (called asanas) resemble
physical fitness exercise. But other elements, such as regulated yogic breathing
and meditation (both of which contribute to the above health perks), are less
"exercise-like." Yet when researchers conducted a review of the research on yoga
versus exercise, they concluded that yoga is equally as beneficial for mental
and physical health as fitness exercise.

Sometimes yoga is superior to conventional fitness exercise. Here's an example:
in two different studies (one in middle-aged and elderly adults and the other in
teenagers), practicing yoga for 8 weeks improved mood, decreased anxiety and
lessened verbal aggressiveness.


THE BOTTOM LINE

From improving heart health to promoting better sleep quality, there are many
health benefits of practicing yoga. So get out there and take a class, or
download an app for an at-home practice.

One last thing: yoga isn't, and shouldn't be, a substitute for medications or
medical care if you have a condition that warrants them. Yoga, however, does
have the potential to be a preventive tool, or one that's used as an adjunct to
medications and prescribed medical care.

This article was written by Brierley Horton, M.S. and Rd from EatingWell and was
legally licensed through the Industry Dive publisher network. Please direct all
licensing questions to legal@industrydive.com.


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as a free resource for the public. They are not a substitute for medical advice,
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