Why You Should Be Doing Yoga

What is yoga?
Yoga is a mind-body experience that some even use as a form of alternative medicine. Yoga is a physical and mental discipline. Through yoga you can achieve peacefulness, relax, and reduce stress and anxiety. There are many different styles and forms of yoga, so you can find the one that suits you best.

Health benefits of yoga.
  Flexibility: Stretching your body in new ways can increase flexibility, range of motion in the 
  muscles and joints.

  Strength: Poses in yoga require you to support your body in new ways. This challenge provides a
  "shock" to your body which results in increased strength.

  Muscle Tone: As a result of increasing strength, you will see an increase in muscle tone. Yoga 
  helps shape long, lean muscles (which also helps reduce cellulite.)

  Reduce Stress: Yoga distracts you from your busy life and can calm you down. Instead of focusing
  on your chaotic day you are concentrating on the precise movements in a quiet atmosphere. Yoga 
  provides a break from your stressors and helps put things in perspective. Yoga teaches you to be in 
  the moment and not dwell on past events or worry about the future. Physical activity alone reduces
  stress.

  Pain Prevention: With increased flexibility and strength pain can be reduced. Yoga helps with your
  alignment which helps your pain even after your workout.

  Better Breathing: Most people breathe very shallowly into their lungs, not using their lung's full 
  potential. Most of us don't put much thought into how we breathe. Yoga breathing exercises bring
  attention to your breath and teach us how to use our lungs more efficiently. This helps your entire 
  body. Better breathing has both physical and mental benefits.

  Calmness: While you are concentrating so intently on what your body is doing, your mind and
  body become calm.

  Body Awareness: You often need to make small, precise movements to improve your body
  alignment. As you continue with yoga, you will continue to grow more comfortable with your own
  body. This will lead to increased posture and self-confidence.
  Weight Loss: Yoga can encourage a healthy lifestyle and promote weight loss. Yoga increases your
  metabolism and control hunger.

  Slow Down Aging: Yoga stimulates a detoxing of the body which slows down the aging process.

  Blood Pressure: Through regular yoga practice blood pressure can be reduced due to better
  circulation and oxygenation of the body.

  Other: Yoga also promotes better sleep, increased mood, decreased anxiety and depression, and an
  improved memory.

As always, consult your health care provider before starting an exercise routine.

Source:
Walker, Meredith. "77 Surprising Health Benefits of Yoga." Nursing Schools : LPN RN BSN MSN : Online Nursing Degree. Nursing Degree. Web. 10 Apr. 2012. <http://www.nursingdegree.net/blog/24/77-surprising-health-benefits-of-yoga/>.