Are you thinking of taking up yoga for the new year? Yoga was developed in India about 5000 years ago. It’s designed to keep both the mind and the body healthy with its blend of physical poses and stretching, breathing and mindfulness techniques. Today, the many styles of yoga are practised all over the world, and it’s been on the rise in Canada. According to a Fraser Institute study, yoga is currently the second most popular type of complementary or alternative medical therapy – more than a quarter of Canadians have tried it! Find out if yoga could be the right move for you.
The Appeal of Yoga
There are many reasons why people are drawn to yoga.
- It has benefits for both physical and mental health.
- It can be practiced by a wide range of people, including those of various ages, sizes, shapes and abilities.
- You don’t need experience or prior training to take yoga.
- Yoga doesn’t require costly equipment.
- Yoga can be adapted or modified to meet different physical conditions.
Proven Benefits
Any type of physical activity is good for your health. You may have heard about benefits of yoga in particular from friends or on social media. While not all of these claims have evidence to back them up, many do. Here’s what we know:
- Yoga improves strength, flexibility, stamina and balance.
- It can lift mood and reduce feelings of stress, anxiety and negativity.
- It alleviates insomnia for some people.
- It may help manage certain chronic health conditions, including high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol.
- It can play a role in managing pain, including chronic low-back pain and carpal tunnel syndrome, and it can improve function.
Special Populations
Yoga has been shown to have particular benefits for certain groups of people, including:
- Pregnant women. Prenatal yoga is modified to avoid poses that might cause injury. Prenatal yoga can prepare muscles for childbirth, improve sleep, reduce anxiety and decrease lower-back pain, nausea, shortness of breath and other symptoms.
- Seniors. Yoga can lower cardiovascular risk in older people by promoting healthier blood pressure, blood glucose and cholesterol. It can also help them sleep better, ease depression, improve mobility and lower the risk of falls.
- Children and teens. Yoga can help with stress, social anxiety and sleep disorders in this age group. It can also raise self-esteem as well as the ability to concentrate.
When to Take Care
Yoga is a generally safe activity when supervised by a certified instructor. However, it’s always important to check with your doctor before starting a new exercise program, especially if you:
- Have a medical condition such as uncontrolled high blood pressure, glaucoma, a herniated disk or severe osteoporosis;
- Have significant balance problems;
- Have pre-existing injuries or pain in your shoulders or arms;
- Are pregnant; or
- Are considering hot yoga, such as Bikram. There isn’t convincing evidence that hot yoga is better, and there are known risks to exercising in an overheated environment, including dehydration and dangerous body temperatures.
Yoga is a complementary therapy – it doesn’t replace conventional medical care, but it can be helpful alongside your regular health care. Are you inspired? Maybe this will be your year for yoga!
For more health information, visit the health section of our blog!
