| v> | | | | to your brain, you finish a yoga practise (once you are |
| Discover the 7 key benefits of yoga that you can use | | | | used to the movements) feeling more energetic than |
| right now to help you lose weight. | | | | when you began. This means that you tend to put |
| Yoga is probably not an obvious choice of activity | | | | more energy and movement into your day rather than |
| when it comes to weight loss but despite the speed of | | | | sitting around feeling exhausted. And you build flexibility |
| the movements it is deceptively effective and here's | | | | in your muscles and joints so that you enjoy a full |
| why. | | | | range of movement your whole life. Witness the |
| 1. Yoga strengthens and streamlines your muscles | | | | difference between the movements of a young girl |
| During yoga practise you work your whole body, | | | | and a stiff 80 year old woman. The young girl is bound |
| stretching and toning your muscles, streamlining and | | | | to move so much more because muscles and joints |
| firming them. This gives you a lean firm body shape as | | | | are less restricted. |
| opposed to the bulkier, short muscles you might get | | | | 5. Yoga uses calories |
| from weight training. With yoga you build strong lean | | | | This is where people believe that yoga is not helpful |
| muscle tissue which burn calories even while you are | | | | when it comes to weight loss and it's true that aerobic |
| at rest. | | | | exercise may very well burn more calories. However |
| 2. Yoga calms you and clears your mind | | | | you will still use about 240 calories in an average 1 hour |
| If you are someone who eats due to stress and | | | | classic hatha yoga class and burn many more (about |
| tension, then yoga will help you reduce comfort eating. | | | | 400) with some highly physical forms such as astanga |
| The slow stretching movements and deep breathing in | | | | yoga. And you can practise yoga every day without |
| every yoga movement calm and relax you. The | | | | over-exercising your muscles which is not the case for |
| balance postures in particular necessitate that you | | | | many forms of aerobic exercise |
| clear your mind of all your every day cares and | | | | 6. Yoga offers psychological benefits |
| worries and use all your powers of concentration and | | | | Through yoga practise you tend to retune into your |
| focus. With regular yoga practise you will find that you | | | | body and increase your self-acceptance and |
| become naturally more relaxed and able to cope with | | | | self-esteem. You build positive body confidence and |
| everyday problems. | | | | help quiet any negative messages that may arise in |
| 3. Yoga normalises sluggish glands | | | | your mind. Yoga teaches us to respect our bodies and |
| The toning movements in yoga work not only on the | | | | this helps us when choosing our food and avoiding junk |
| muscles but also on the internal organs of the body | | | | food and alcohol. |
| stimulating them and normalising their function. Twisting | | | | 7. Yoga is for everyone |
| poses, forward and backward bends and inversions | | | | Most people can take up yoga even if they have been |
| are used to stimulate the endocrine system and | | | | inactive for a while although you should always get |
| postures like the shoulder stand and the fish help | | | | your doctor's approval before beginning an exercise |
| regulate the mechanism of the thyroid gland in the | | | | program if there is any doubt about your health. While |
| neck, all of which help boost your metabolism. | | | | jogging and working out at the gym might seem too |
| 4. Yoga gives you energy and increases flexibility | | | | much to contemplate you can start wherever you are |
| By calming you and gently working on your muscles | | | | with a yoga class and make steady progress. |
| and increasing the levels of oxygen in your blood and | | | | |