We live in an era of wellness and self-care. Moving your body is the ultimate act of self-love, so it’s no surprise that yoga has become one of the most popular forms of exercise. Yoga isn’t just about physical exercise, it’s an all-encompassing practice that has roots dating back around 5000 years, helping to improve your mental, spiritual and physical health.
The advantages of yoga, particularly if you practice it regularly, can be huge. Yoga poses, known as “asanas”, improve your flexibility, stability and overall strength. It’s been proven to help reduce pain, improve posture and boost energy levels. Many people adopt yoga into their daily routine to improve their sleep, reduce anxiety and enhance their mood.
Regardless of why you’re drawn to yoga, this ancient practice can have a positive impact on almost every aspect of your life. Whether you’re a newbie to the world of fitness or want to shake up your workout routine, we’re sharing 5 yoga benefits that showcase how versatile this practice is.
1. Improves Flexibility and Balance
During yoga, your muscles stretch in different ways, improving your flexibility to make everyday actions easier on your body. Whether it’s bending down to pet your dog or reaching for a high shelf, yoga enhances your flexibility, which in turn improves your balance.
Your balance is crucial for your overall physical stability. When you have better balance, you’re less likely to injure yourself when exercising and going about your daily life. If you’re a runner or focus on other exercises like weightlifting, yoga can elevate your entire workout routine by improving your flexibility.
The secret to a healthy lifestyle? Being flexible! As we get older, we become less flexible – but research shows yoga can improve flexibility in older adults and slow down flexibility loss.
2. Reduces Stress and Promotes Mental Wellbeing
If you’re feeling stressed, instead of scrolling through your phone or binge-watching Netflix, try yoga. One of the benefits of yoga is its focus on relaxation, mindfulness and deep breathing, helping to calm your nervous system, creating a sense of calm and reducing feelings of anxiety.
If you’re focusing on improving your mental wellbeing, yoga is the exercise for you. Yoga is healthy because it’s not just a way of promoting mental wellbeing, it’s also a form of physical exercise. Combining yoga with focused breathing exercises can further deepen these calming effects.
3. Enhances Strength and Muscle Tone
Every body is a summer body, but if your fitness goals include toning your muscles and building functional strength, yoga is an excellent option. One of the benefits of yoga is that it engages various muscle groups, helping strengthen your body as you move through different poses.
While yoga doesn’t build muscle mass in the same way as weightlifting, it can help tone lean muscle, strengthen your core and improve posture. One study found that yoga can have a moderately positive effect on muscle strength.
4. Improves Posture and Reduces Pain
Do you find yourself slouching or hunching your shoulders? One of the lesser-known yoga benefits is its ability to improve your posture, which can help ease the shoulder, back and neck pain associated with poor posture.
A consistent yoga practice strengthens and stretches key muscle groups, reducing stiffness and improving your overall flexibility.
5. Boosts Cardiovascular Health
Different styles of yoga offer unique benefits. If you want to give your heart a healthy boost, Vinyasa or Power Yoga can provide moderate cardiovascular exercise. Yogic breathing techniques – known as “Pranayama” – can also have a positive impact on the body.
No matter which type of yoga you practice, it can help boost circulation and be a great complement to your other workouts.
Yoga FAQs
Now we’ve covered the benefits of yoga, we’re going to answer the most popular questions, along with our recommendation for where to find the best yoga leggings.
Does yoga count as exercise?
Yoga is a great option if you’re searching for a moderate form of exercise. Whether you’re recovering from an injury, starting out on your fitness journey or want to improve your overall wellbeing, yoga is becoming one of the most popular types of exercise because of its accessibility.
With multiple types of yoga, you’re guaranteed to find one that suits your fitness levels and overall goals. You can incorporate yoga into your weekly workout routine, rotating it with higher-intensity exercises, such as running.
Does doing yoga build muscle?
Yoga is often seen primarily as a gentle, meditation-focused practice, but it can also help build functional strength and tone your muscles. Many yoga poses activate muscle groups that you might not target in traditional workouts, helping to increase muscular endurance and definition. A 2015 study found that practicing yoga regularly for just 12 weeks can improve muscular strength.
What should you wear to do yoga?
Your regular activewear might not be able to handle the sweat and movement demands of a yoga session. Good yoga leggings should be supportive and offer some compression, while giving you a full range of movement to perform different yoga poses.
We have an in-depth guide on ‘What to Wear to Your Next Yoga Class’ with advice on choosing the right yoga tops and yoga leggings. If you’re doing hot yoga, focus on breathable fabrics and switch your yoga leggings for yoga shorts to stay cool. Heading out for a matcha or acai bowl after your yoga class? Add yoga joggers to layer up.
Are you ready to start feeling the benefits of yoga? Shop our size-inclusive yoga leggings and activewear to give your body the support it needs to achieve your fitness and wellness goals.
