Physical Benefits of Yoga

There are many physical benefits that occur as a person continues to practice yoga and a person can feel the benefits after just one session. Three of the most prominent physical benefits of yoga are increased flexibility, improved spinal posture, and an increase in musculature tone/strength.

One of the fastest and most noticeable benefits of yoga is increased flexibility. The physical aspect of yoga is simply stretching, which creates elongation of muscles, tendons, and ligaments. When a muscle is not stretched, it creates a lot of tension which leads to tightness and eventually chronic pain in the neck, shoulders, hips and low back. By practicing yoga, you are continually lengthening and releasing the tension of those specific areas that become stiff over time, mainly caused by over exertion or lack of activity.   

Spinal extension is a very important part in yoga, which creates an overall improved posture. Postures such as Mountain Pose, Staff Pose, and Flat Back/Spinal Extension are three postures that focus strictly on improving one’s posture. It is important to always keep length within all forward bends, always lengthening from the base of the spine which creates low back strength and a lengthened straight spine. It is something that is carried into your day-to-day life, even as you sit at your desk or while driving your car, yoga will improve one’s posture, resulting in a postural awareness. 

Yoga is a physical activity, and with any physical movement, a person increases musculature tone/strength. As you practice yoga, you are working against gravity and use your own body weight, so that you firm/tone specific muscles. As you progress, you will begin to strengthen not only major muscle groups, but the smaller groups located deep within the shoulders, back, hips and ankles which gives a person joint structural stability for day to day balance and safety. 

By practicing yoga, flexibility, posture and muscular strength/tone are increased. These benefits can then be carried off of the yoga mat and into the world, improving quality of life and health.