Yoga Benefits

Good news for yogis -- when you exercise, you not only get to feel great and wear cool clothes, you're also getting some great health benefits. Regular yoga practice can improve muscle strength, flexibility and balance. Moving through yoga positions regularly can also relieve stress.

According to one study, yoga participants had a 35 percent increase in flexibility after eight weeks of yoga. Asanas (yoga poses or positions) such as downward dog and plank can help build upper-body strength while the Tree pose helps with balance.

Yoga practitioners say that yoga positions that involve twists can be detoxifying. Savasana is a relaxation-focused meditative pose. Studies have shown that yoga can reduce anxiety and depression.

Yoga's focus on mindful breathing can lead to increased lung capacity. Another benefit is the prevention of heart disease by lowering blood pressure and slowing the heart rate. Yoga can even relieve chronic conditions such as back pain. Devotees report better posture.

Yoga -- with its many types and variety of yoga positions within those types -- has so many positive impacts on health that the only question is: Why aren't you doing it yet?

More Yoga Terms Defined from That's Fit:
Ashtana Yoga
Kundalini Yoga
Hatha Yoga
Power Yoga
Prenatal Yoga
Vinyasa Yoga