The Benefits of Yoga for Physical Fitness

All forms of exercise are important for the body. The right amount of it keeps us in shape, improves longevity, and certainly keeps me sane if nobody else. Yoga is more than simple stretches, and it’s not just for flexible people. It’s about creating balance, strength, flexibility, and relaxation in the body through a series of postures, movements and breathing patterns.

Yoga Improves Flexibility and Core Strength

Yoga is beneficial for various reasons. It helps improve flexibility and works your core muscles. It also allows you to perform cardio-centric exercises in a way which is not as taxing as forms of cardio.

In addition to poses that work your core, such as Plank and Chaturanga, you can target the abdominal muscles to give you a more toned and trim tummy by engaging the core in standing balance poses.

If you want to improve your strength, there isn’t much that will develop upper body strength faster than a regular Ashtanga practice, which consists of lots of planks, push ups and arm balances.

Yoga for Weight Loss

What about yoga and weight loss? Most types of yoga are not as effective as traditional forms of cardio in terms of calorie-burning. Yoga can increase mindfulness as you become more acutely aware of your own body. People can become more aware of how much they are eating and make better food choices.

It’s is well-known for its stress-reducing advantages, and a relaxed body is a better body. High levels of the “stress hormone” cortisol contributes to weight gain—particularly encouraging fat to be stored in the abdominal area.

That’s why the cardio benefits and relaxation from a regular yoga practice, in unison with a sensible diet, can effectively aid in weight loss.

Yoga Reduces the Risk of Injury

Yoga can be an ideal method of warming up/down when taking part in other sports. More importantly, it can be a great tool for recovery post-injury. If you decide to take up yoga as a tool for injury rehabilitation, consult with your doctor first.

When practiced safely and/or with a credible teacher, the risk of injury is significantly less in comparison to other forms of exercise. Yoga has proven to be beneficial in the healing process of injuries, such as repetitive strain.

As injured muscles heal, they can become tight where scar tissue forms, reducing flexibility and restricting movement in the area. Yoga practice can promote flexibility because the stretching postures allow scar tissue to break down more gently without inhibiting movement as it heals.

Gentle movement increases blood flow to the injured area, which carries nutrients and removes toxins to/from the injury site. This aids in the healing process more effectively. When looking to start a yoga practice post-injury, speak to your doctor or therapist to ensure it is suitable for you to start a practice. Then, consider whether you would like to join a general class or work one-to-one with a therapist. As with any class, always inform your teacher of injury and restrictions before the class starts so you can practice safely.

Article by Victoria Adams at DoYouYoga

The Arena District Athletic Club is more than just a gym, it’s a premier fitness facility located in the heart of the Arena District in downtown Columbus. We provide convenience and quality, featuring top-of-the-line equipment, top-notch personal trainers, spa-like locker rooms and a wide variety of free group fitness classes daily including Cardio, Spinning, Barre Fusion, Yoga, Boot Camp and more. We offer free 2-hour parking and convenient contract-free memberships, to fit your healthy lifestyle needs. Don’t just join, belong.