5 Benefits of Yoga

This keeps your body and mind fit

Yoga is as popular as ever – but it is still not a “trendy sport”. There is actually much more behind yoga: the concept that comes from India is a philosophy of life that has existed for 2,500 years. It combines targeted relaxation with exercises that keep you flexible and help you build muscle mass. This has many advantages for you. Which one exactly? Find out here!

Breathe deeply, switch off and let go – these things are part of a yoga session, but not everything.

A yoga session combines:

• Asanas – yoga postures that can be gentle but also very sporty and that usually flow smoothly into one another.
• Pranayama techniques – meditation and breathing techniques that are often combined with certain asanas.

The combination of both elements helps you build muscle mass and recharge your mental batteries if you do yoga regularly. This means that you face the challenges of everyday life more calmly and relax deeply. So much for the rough definition. But what can yoga actually do and what happens in your body during yoga? Here you can read about the benefits it has for you and why you should integrate yoga into your everyday life!

Yoga benefit 1: You lower your stress level

Whether it's stress at work or family obligations: Every day, your everyday life presents you with new challenges that can cause stress. It's loud in the open-plan office, new messages pop up on your smartphone every minute and a strange smell comes from somewhere - pure sensory overload!

Yoga can help you cope with stress better. This has positive effects in the long term. Because if you do yoga regularly, it can support your immune system and prevent diseases that are associated with stress - such as high blood pressure, sleep disorders or gastrointestinal problems.

How it works? Yoga and meditation exercises activate the parasympathetic nervous system - a specific part of the autonomic nervous system. This part of the brain is responsible, among other things, for regeneration in the body.

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• Reduces the release of the stress hormone cortisol and
• reduces heart rate, breathing and muscle tension.

When you do yoga, your body realizes that you are safe - and not in a fight or flight situation and need to be alarmed. Then your whole organism can calm down and take a break .

Breathing exercises in yoga can also contribute to relaxation. The reason: They stimulate certain neurotransmitters such as gamma-aminobutyric acid. This is also confirmed by a study . Gamma-aminobutyric acid is a signaling molecule that downregulates or inhibits brain activity. The result: You can complete work and tasks with greater concentration and switch off better at the end of the day - so that you can enjoy the end of your workday, fall asleep better and stay asleep, and start the day with new energy the next morning.

You see: Yoga can have a positive effect on your health. However, it is of course no substitute for a visit to a medical professional. Our tip is therefore: always contact a professional if you have health problems.

Yoga benefit 2: You become calmer and more mindful

Imagine your psyche like a barrel of water: If it is constantly full to the limit, a single drop is enough and it overflows. If it's only half full, it can even handle a heavy downpour. Your goal should be a permanently low water level - or in other words: a low stress level.

The reason: Not only your body, but also your mind suffers from constant stress. Anxiety disorders, burnout and the feeling of loss of control are just three examples of possible psychological consequences. They can arise when you take on too much.

If you regularly make time for yoga in your everyday life - and integrate it as a relaxation part of your sports routine , for example - these little breaks will ensure peace. You interrupt the carousel of thoughts and press the reset button. In general, yoga is a nice alternative to classic meditation . Especially if you don't like sitting still in the lotus position.

In yoga, you direct your focus to something positive during a movement meditation – a so-called Vinyasa flow – and forget about your to-do list for a moment . You move smoothly from one posture to the next in fixed sequences. The beauty of this type of meditation: Nothing is set in stone. You can simply deviate from the movement sequences if it feels right for you.

In any case, when doing yoga you always concentrate on the movements and your breathing. This leads to you...

• arrive in the here and now.
• Forgets worries and fears.
• Find peace.

Our tip: Yoga is even more fun with the right playlist! Whether you prefer to listen to classical melodies, nature sounds or pop songs is entirely up to you.

Yoga benefit 3. You improve your flexibility

Do you sit at your desk most of the day and are so exhausted after work that you would rather go to the sofa instead of the gym? That is understandable! But in the long term this can lead to you becoming less mobile and in pain - that doesn't have to be the case.

Whether you have low flexibility or back pain – yoga can keep up well with physiotherapy or stretching . Because the flowing movements gently stretch shortened muscles. This ensures that

• your blockages and tensions dissolve step by step,
• your tissue becomes more flexible and stronger and
• your joints have greater range of motion.

Even if you would describe yourself as inflexible, yoga could be just the thing for you.

Our tips:

• Avoid comparing yourself to others: just pay attention to yourself and your body and you will see that over time you will become more mobile and flexible.
• Try to cultivate a body awareness: Which muscles are tense? In which direction do I need to stretch so that I immediately feel better?

The answers to these questions vary from person to person. So listen to your gut feeling.

If you want to become more flexible, we advise you to use one of the most important yoga tools - your breathing . Let's say you're sitting cross-legged and want to stretch your back muscles by turning to the side. Then breathe in and pull your upper body really long – i.e. upwards. Only when you breathe out do you turn to the side. Stay in the position and repeat the breathing technique. You will see that turning is much easier if you let your breathing support you.

Equally important: train regularly and improve slowly . Start with ten minutes a day. That can make a big difference. Why? Because you strengthen and stretch muscles, joints and tendons in a healthy way.

Aerial yoga is one of the many different types of yoga you can choose from.

@Evgeny Atamanenko/Shutterstock.com

Yoga benefit 4: You get fit and build muscles

“Yoga isn’t a sport!” – only people who haven’t tried it say that. Because even if you don't break out in sweats, it's still tiring. That's why our tip is: Drink a carbohydrate-free electrolyte drink like Zero Calories after the session. This helps to quickly balance your mineral and fluid levels.

How demanding yoga is depends, among other things, on your fitness level, but also on the type of yoga:

• Hatha yoga is particularly recommended for beginners and the untrained. It is a calm but powerful form. She combines asanas with breathing exercises, relaxation exercises and meditation.
• AntiGravity Yoga is the acrobatic sister of aerial yoga. You hang in a cloth and make flowing, demanding movements - but in a way that is gentle on your joints.
• Power yoga is great if you prefer something more active. There are different variants such as Power Vinyasa Yoga and Power Core Yoga. The first is a mix of asanas and dynamic movements - this trains strength, flexibility and balance. With Power Core Yoga you primarily strengthen your core.

No matter which type you choose: With yoga you train your entire body effectively and build muscle mass. This is because yoga combines elements of core and bodyweight training, i.e. exercises with your own body weight and to strengthen the middle of the body. Breaks are also an integral part of training.

Core training

Core training plays an important role in all forms of yoga. Because with strong abdominal and back muscles you can hold the asanas longer. Similar to functional training, yoga also strengthens deeper muscles. This makes it ideal as basic training for other sports – and for more strength in everyday life .

Bodyweight training

When doing yoga, you train with your own body weight - this ensures that you don't overdo it with weights that are too heavy. All you need is a yoga mat. And you can even replace that with a towel or a carpet if necessary. If you want, you can add a meditation cushion, yoga block or straps later. But as I said, this is optional.

Breaks

Another advantage of yoga that influences your training success: breaks are automatically taken into account - unlike, for example, in classic bodybuilding. If you assume a resting pose after a sequence of movements - such as Balasana, also known as child pose - this has a great advantage for you. Because then your tissue recovers and metabolic end products are removed. The cells are cleaned up, so to speak - and they are supplied with fresh oxygen again , which benefits rapid muscle building.

Do you want to support your muscles even more after exercise? Then treat yourself to a protein shake! The protein powder made from protein isolate and concentrate ensures rapid protein delivery and supports your body in effectively building muscles. You can get the Plant Protein from Dextro Energy* in two different delicious varieties – Vanilla and Chocolate Nut .

Yoga benefit 5: You feel happy

As described, yoga can increase the gamma-aminobutyric acid level in the brain and therefore have a relaxing effect. But are there other positive feelings it triggers? A study suggests so. In the experimental group, the right amygdala – the part of the brain responsible for negative feelings such as pessimism, fear and anger – shrank over time.

The left hemisphere of the brain, responsible for optimism, joy and memories , remained the same size. The participants also said that they can deal with stress better with regular yoga training. Our tip: Find a training partner, because exercising with friends is even more fun!

Studies on the topic of yoga: A small but

Although the benefits clearly outweigh the benefits, you should always view research on the benefits of yoga critically. On the one hand, this is because blind studies cannot be carried out. To explain: With medication you can give placebos to the control group. When it comes to yoga, everyone knows whether they were in the experimental or control group - this influences the results of a study.

On the other hand, there is hardly any research funding for yoga studies . So they are often financed by private individuals. If the funders are not neutral, for example because they have a personal interest in the positive outcome of a study, you should question the results.

Nevertheless, many people are enthusiastic about the effects yoga has on them. So studies or not, one fact remains: yoga is a form of exercise - and it's always good . Combined with breathing exercises, plenty of sleep and a healthy diet, your body and mind will definitely benefit.

Yoga: A sport or philosophy of life with many benefits

Whether as a balance to stressful everyday life or basic training to build muscle: yoga is incredibly versatile. Some types of yoga are spiritual, others are sporty - with all the different variations, you're sure to find one that suits you. You will see: After a while, your body and mind will definitely benefit from the many benefits of yoga - just give it a try!

* Smart Protein: smart mix with a high protein content, without added sugar (NATURALLY CONTAINS SUGAR).

A varied, balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle are important.

SOURCES

Streeter, CC, Jensen, JE, Perlmutter, RM, Cabral, HJ, Tian, ​​H, Terhune, DB, Ciraulo, DA, & Renshaw, PF (2007). Yoga Asana sessions increase brain GABA levels: a pilot study. Journal of alternative and complementary medicine (New York, NY), 13(4), 419-426. https://doi.org/10.1089/acm.2007.6338

Gotink, RA, Vernooij, MW, Ikram, MA, Niessen, WJ, Krestin, GP, Hofman, A., Tiemeier, H., & Hunink, M. (2018). Meditation and yoga practice are associated with smaller right amygdala volume: the Rotterdam study. Brain imaging and behavior, 12(6), 1631–1639. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11682-018-9826-z