If you’ve been looking for beginner’s yoga exercises, look no further. Yoga is an activity that everyone can benefit from and enjoy, no matter their age, body size, or fitness level. The advantages of yoga exercises have been extensively documented and best of all, you do not need to be super flexible or a ‘pro’ to start reaping the wide and far-reaching benefits.
Award-winning yoga instructor, Sarah Highfield qualified as a yoga teacher over seven years ago and has created a yoga routine specifically for Fit&Well readers to get started with.
Outlined below is a summary of the physical and mental benefits of practicing yoga, along with three easy-to-follow beginner’s yoga exercises (including step-by-step instructions on how to do them), that you can try from the comfort of your own home.
Yoga offers practitioners many physical and mental health benefits. Not only does yoga help to strengthen your body, develop your sense of balance, decrease anxiety levels, and calm your mind; but its physical and mental health benefits have been proven in a University of Maryland(opens in new tab) study to be just as effective as more traditional forms of exercise, such as working out in the gym. The research revealed that practicing yoga appeared to be equal or superior to traditional exercise in nearly every outcome measured, except those involving physical fitness. Furthermore, yoga exercises have been shown to be equally effective at managing stress and boosting mindfulness for both beginners & experienced yogis alike, according to a report by Springfield College, Massachusetts(opens in new tab).
Strengthens the body
Yoga is an excellent way to strengthen and tone your body thanks to the wide variation of yoga poses and styles of yoga to choose from. Many yoga poses require both physical strength and mental focus, and the longer you hold a pose, the more strength you will build. The best styles of yoga for strength building are power yoga and vinyasa flow yoga.
Develops a sense of balance
As we age, our sense of balance can decrease, leading to falls and injuries. Physical balance is a big component of yoga, and many practitioners find the more they practice balancing poses, the easier they eventually become, which has real-world benefits when applied to everyday life. This is corroborated in an International Journal of Yoga(opens in new tab) study, which also points toward yoga being beneficial for improving balance and coordination.
Decreases anxiety levels
A NYU School of Medicine(opens in new tab) report confirmed that yoga improves symptoms of anxiety disorder. Restorative and slow styles of yoga are effective at activating your parasympathetic nervous system, which stimulates rest and repair throughout your body. This activation reduces your blood pressure, decreases your heart and breathing rate, and signals your muscles to relax.
Calms the mind
Both the physical part of yoga, called Asana, and yogic breathing exercises, called Pranayama, can help to reduce levels of cortisol (stress hormones) in your body through slow movements and controlled breathing. Simultaneously, this releases stored tension in your body, brings all your senses into the present moment, and promotes a sense of inner peace.Read more at:dark grey prom dress | gold prom dresses uk