When thinking of yoga, you might already associate the ancient practice with mental and physical health benefits. Maybe you’ve attended a yoga class at some point and left the session with a new lease on life—feeling more relaxed, flexible, and grounded.
It’s widely understood that yoga is good for you. But beyond that, have you ever wondered about the concrete benefits of this Indian tradition—as in, exactly how a regular yoga practice can influence your health?
Let’s take a look at the science behind the benefits of yoga for your body, mind, and even your skin.
Table of Contents
1. Yoga may reduce stress
While a form of exercise (and a challenging one at that), yoga can also relax and soothe your body and mind. One study showed that just one hour of yoga weekly for ten weeks significantly improved participants’ stress, anxiety, and quality of life. All this in just an hour a week!
A further study showed that practicing yoga could decrease the amount of cortisol (the stress hormone) in the body. Over time, higher levels of cortisol can significantly impact sleep quality, negatively affect your mood, and may even contribute to weight gain.
Keeping stress levels in check is important—for your skin and your health—and yoga is just one of the ways you can work to manage stress and balance your body’s cortisol levels.
2. Yoga could help improve sleep quality
What if a calming yoga session could work as a natural sleep aid? As it turns out, it just might.
One study showed that yoga, combined with meditation, can help boost the body’s production of melatonin. Your body naturally produces melatonin to help control your sleep cycle. Simply put, it signals when it’s time to head to bed.
But that’s not its only role. Melatonin is also important to the gut, thyroid, lungs, kidneys, and you guessed it, the skin, where it shows off two main strengths: antioxidant and repairing actions. That’s why you might have used it both as a sleep supplement and in your skincare routine.
However, science shows that your body begins to produce less and less of the hormone as you age. The good news is that regularly practicing yoga may help—encouraging deeper and more restful sleep overall.
3. Regular practice boosts flexibility
On top of playing their part in balancing stress levels and sleep quality, many forms of yoga contribute to building strength and flexibility. The ancient practice works to loosen up those muscles and, with time, improve flexibility and balance.
In addition, preliminary research has found that a consistent yoga practice could be beneficial in pain management. By providing breathing and body-awareness techniques, this type of exercise can offer a new approach toward uncomfortable feelings.
While more research is needed on the topic of yoga and chronic pain, it could help you experience some relief with the right guidance. However, it’s important to let your yoga instructor know about any conditions you might have, as there may be certain poses that are better to sit out.
4. It can support heart health
There’s evidence to suggest that yoga can support cardiovascular health. One of the major contributing factors towards heart disease is stress—and as we’ve already seen, yoga can be a great way to unwind. Moreover, one study of over 40s who practiced yoga for over 5 years indicated that participants had lower blood pressure and a lower pulse rate compared to those who didn’t practice yoga.
The task of keeping your heart healthy takes a holistic approach. Diet, stress, and how much you exercise overall also play their part. However, adding more mindful movement into your routine could be a great start.
Yoga isn’t a replacement for a check-up with your doctor.
Make sure to follow trusted medical guidance and do your best to listen to your body.
Start your own yoga journey
Many of the short-term effects of yoga can be felt after attending a class or practicing at home for just a few weeks (that post-yoga glow anyone?). But if it’s stress-relieving, long-term health benefits you’re after, try to stick with it.
Along with gaining strength and flexibility, imagine how you’ll feel when finally able to pull off the more advanced moves. Roll out the mat and enjoy the benefits of yoga—right now and down the road.
Sources and references
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Thirthalli J, Naveen GH, Rao MG, Varambally S, Christopher R, Gangadhar BN. Cortisol and antidepressant effects of yoga. Indian J Psychiatry. 2013 Jul;55(Suppl 3):S405-8. doi: 10.4103/0019-5545.116315. PMID: 24049209; PMCID: PMC3768222.
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Volume 20, 2022, 100421, ISSN 2666-3546, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbih.2022.100421.
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Our namesake embodies the spirit of embracing life and all its wonder. As wellness journalists, we explore topics that invigorate the senses and keep curiosity alive. We believe that glowing skin is the result of a healthy body and mind. Weaving beauty with science, we aim to inspire you to live young at every age.
