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Transcript

Today’s topic is 7 science-based benefits of yoga that you should know.

You might have been recommended yoga at some point in your life with promises that it will change your life. The mind-body exercise is currently practiced all around the world, with people claiming that it has helped them relieve stress or get rid of chronic physical pain.

While some of yoga’s purported benefits may be exaggerated, the exercise does have scientific support.

With that in mind here are seven science-based benefits of yoga that you should know.
 

1. It Builds Strength

Yoga movements help build muscle it builds muscle strength by using the body’s weight as a form of resistance. Holding the poses and moving through them while doing yoga also helps you build endurance.

A 2015 study conducted in China found that yoga has a marked effect on muscle flexibility strength, which shows up as early as 12 weeks.

While yoga does work the entire body, more strenuous forms of exercise do more to strengthen muscles.
 

2. Flexibility and Balance

Flexibility and balance are essential for the body to move and function efficiently. The former keeps your muscles from pulling against the bones, while having solid balance is important to ensure you avoid injuries by slipping and falling.

Studies have shown that biweekly yoga sessions helped male college athletes improve their flexibility and balance in just 10 weeks.
 

3. It Improves your Heart Health

While yoga does not make your heart pump like a cardio exercise, it can still help improve your heart health; moving through positions and maintaining them against the resistance of your body weight does work the heart and helps build cardiovascular endurance.
 

4. It helps Relieve Arthritis Symptoms

It helps reduce arthritic symptoms arthritis causes pain and stiffness in joints due to inflammation, which can affect physical function and make it difficult and painful to move.

Yoga can help relieve arthritis symptoms, since it makes the body more flexible and does not require you to put extra strain on your body — you just need to move with your body weight making it easier to exercise without pushing yourself too much.
 

5. It Can Ease Back Pain

Yoga has long been recommended to people with chronic back pain. Back pain is linked to bad posture which affects the spine by tightening the muscles around it.

Yoga not only makes those muscles more flexible, but it also keeps your joints aligned and less tense, which helps improve posture.
 

6. It Can Help Lose Weight

Yoga might not be as intense as cardio exercises, but it does help you lose weight: an hour of power yoga can help you burn up to 284 calories, which together with a balanced diet can help you slim down and maintain your weight.
 

7. It can help Reduce Stress

The breathing techniques employed in yoga can help reduce stress just like meditation. It can help you improve your quality of life by reducing anxiety stress and depression.

Yoga can also help improve sleep along with all these.

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Questions

Heart Disease. This video featured yoga techniques and philosophies. True or false? Is yoga only practiced by esoteric yogis in India?

Cancer. Does practicing yoga make people’s muscles and joints stiff and tense?

Arthritis. Can doing yoga prolong or extend a person’s lifespan?

Obesity. Only pharmaceutical medication can reduce or eliminate body pain. Is this right or wrong?

Stroke. Can only psychiatrists help people experiencing emotional suffering?

Diabetes. Yoga can help individuals write, type and cook better. Is this correct or incorrect?

Dementia, Alzheimer’s. Does performing yoga make practitioners heavier?
 
 
 
Relief, Cure, Heal. I practice yoga. I do yoga. Yes or no? Do your friends practice yoga? Is yoga fun and enjoyable?

Rest, Relaxation. Is yoga popular where in your community, region or country?

Balance, Harmony. What is the history of yoga in your community?

Restoration, Rejuvenation. I would like to become a yoga instructor; or open a yoga studio, center, club; or write a book or make yoga videos.

Enchantment, Enthrallment. What might happen in the future?

Ecstasy, Fantasy. Should more people practice yoga? Should there be more yoga classes, clubs, centers, retreats and camps?