I personally think of exercise as a magic cure-all for so many things, head to toe. That’s why, on most days of the week, you’ll find me at my local gym working hard on the treadmill, elliptical, or stationary bike.

But physiological and psychological benefits go beyond heavy (aerobic) breathing. When the National Institute of Health (NIH) reviewed over 80 studies of yoga, they found that yoga interventions were equal – or superior to – exercise in both healthy and diseased populations. 

Note to self: Start paying more attention to those yoga classes offered at my gym. It took a little research for me to realize that yoga is truly amazing and should be added to everyone’s to-do list. Take a look at all the amazing benefits associated with yoga.

Health Benefits of Yoga

Flexibility and range of motion. Yoga poses stretch your muscles, releasing the build-up of lactic acid that can cause stiffness, tension pain, and even fatigue. Your muscles not only move more smoothly, their range of motion is increased along with lubrication in the joints.

Upper-and-lower body strength. Poses like Downward Dog, Upward Dog, and Plank all help to strengthen arms and shoulder muscles. And the standing poses help build strength in your legs – your hamstrings, quadriceps – as well as your abdominal muscles.

Breathing. Because yoga involves deep, mindful breathing, your lung capacity often improves. Stronger lungs translate to better sports performance and endurance. The deep breathing done during yoga also helps stimulate the body’s relaxation response.

Calm. Some yoga styles involved meditation techniques, while others have you focus on your breath. Either way, your mind slowly relaxes and shuts out all the outside “noise.” Less stress ensues.

Posture. Because you’re getting increased strength and flexibility, as well as core strength, your posture will inevitably improve. And the increased body awareness that yoga imparts will naturally force you to remember to stand tall.

And now, for some really impressive stuff that goes beyond the obvious, there are more heavy-hitting health conditions and/or diseases that can benefit in a big way from yoga:

Depression and mood: Harvard Health Publications reports that when women who felt emotional distress participated in two 90-minute yoga classes a week for three months, they reported improvements in their feelings of stress, depression, anxiety, energy, fatigue and general well-being. Other studies show positive effects on many mood disorders, including bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. The yoga participants reported lower levels of tension, anxiety, anger and hostility.

PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder): When disabled Australian Vietnam veterans who had been diagnosed with PTSD practiced yoga and breathing techniques as well as guided meditation, they reported improvements in their symptoms. Walter Reed Army Center in Washington, D.C. is now offering a yoga-type method of stress reduction to help vets returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, hoping that it will be less stigmatizing than traditional psychotherapy at easing their psychological distress. (According to one estimate, PTSD affects about 20 percent of war veterans who served in Afghanistan or Iraq.)

Other conditions and functions that may be helped by yoga include:

• Heart disease
• Asthma
• Back pain
• Arthritis
• Insomnia
• Multiple sclerosis
• Learning and memory

What’s happening to you during yoga to reap all these benefits, you may be wondering?

Biochemical Changes During Yoga

• Decreased glucose levels
• Decreased cholesterol levels
• Decreased triglyceride levels
• Decrease in catecholamines (the hormones produced by the adrenal glands in response to stress)
• Decrease in neurotransmitters dopamine, noripinephrine, and epinephrine (to produce a feeling of calm)
• Increase in oxytocin (the “trust” or “bonding” hormone that helps you feel content and connected to others)
• Increased lymphocyte (small white cells that help with the body’s immuneresponse) count

Haven’t tried yoga yet? YogaJournal.com is a good place to get an idea of what some poses look like.

Gotta run – yoga class is in an hour!

Sheryl Kraft at Health & Wellness Editor at EndlessBeauty.com