4 Physical Benefits of Yoga Practice
Why:
Yoga can be customized to focus on certain areas of the body, especially in Westernized athletic or aerobic yoga style classes. No matter the yoga class, though, the entire body will benefit. Each yoga pose has benefit for the whole body, strengthening, conditioning, and developing muscles, including small and unseen ones.
Strengthen Your Core.
Having a strong core as a human is like having a strong trunk as a tree. Arms and legs are the branches of the human body, as well is the spine and all the other muscles. A weak core makes everything loose and disconnected, allowing injury. Core strength is a focus of yoga as it is seen to be an energetic powerhouse of the body in need of building. The core is built of three layers which all need to be worked on. Yoga works to strengthen all three layers
Why:
A strong core changes walking, sitting, and even sleeping posture to protect the back and other important joints. Yoga poses keep focus on activating the core to allow the rest of the body to lengthen, expand, and strengthen.
Helping Your Muscles Recover.
Muscle recovery is often overlooked. After a particularly strenuous workout or physical activity, most turn straight to relaxation. Few people engage in the physical activity which matters most- stretching and recovery. If there is a fitness goal in mind, it will be better reached by actively practicing yoga as muscle recovery. Even though energy is low and muscles are tired, the day after hard physical engagement, practice yoga.
Why:
Using muscles detoxifies the body and releases lactic acids, which can cause that stiff soreness as well as immobility. Drinking lots of water is helpful for clearing out toxins released by the body. Yoga, however, amplifies the recovery process through stretching and releasing the muscles. Additionally, yoga is focused on the breath, which brings more air to the muscles.
Preventing Muscular Injury.
Muscular injuries are painful. Treating muscular injury can end up taking months of careful and challenging physical therapy. Some injuries to muscles require surgeries for which there is an intensive recovery period. Muscle injury results from not properly taking care of muscles before, after, and during physical activity. Physical activity doesn’t have to mean working out, playing sports, or being active. Without proper muscle care, it is easy to twist, pull, strain, tear, and bruise muscles just in every day activities. For example, not strengthening and conditioning the core can contribute to back injury.
Why:
Yoga is a simultaneous practice of strength building, stretching, and muscle lengthening. Similar to the way a cut is treated with a bandaid to heal and endure ongoing activity, yoga treats the muscles to help them endure and heal.
Develop Underused Muscles.
Not enough exercises focus on the underlying muscles. Many people who regularly workout at the gym are happy with the physical strength and endurance they gain. Most people exercise for artificial purposes such as muscle sculpting and body shape. By constantly doing bicep curls to gain bicep muscles, many other important muscles in the arms and shoulders are ignored. Mistaking bicep strength for over all arm strength, it is easy to damage or injure the body. Yoga as a strength building practice will prevent hyper focused strength.
