Sign In
Whatever your exercise routine may be, an important, and often overlooked, aspect of exercise is stretching. Stretching helps to prevent injury. Yoga is a great form of exercise that includes stretching. Often misperceived as only a stretching exercise, yoga also helps you gain strength, flexibility and balance. In fact, you can potentially work every major muscle group in a yoga routine. You can increase your heart rate, stretch chronically tight muscles as well as develop a foundation for balancing exercises.
As yoga focuses on breathing, you will also develop a stronger link between your body and your mind that will help to calm your nervous system and reduce stress, lower your blood pressure, boost concentration, sharpen your focus and improve the quality of your sleep. Yoga also stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, which helps with the digestive and reproductive organs. These are other benefits that a well-rounded exercise routine can have on your overall health.
Whatever your budget and schedule, make room for regular exercise. Whether it’s a beginner’s yoga class, free-styling at a gym or jogging on the beach, take the time to work your muscles, raise your heartrate and stretch. Even if it’s just a few minutes each day, it is worth it to your health.